Fate Far Side
by Arashi Leonhart
Summary: While Shiki is away, Shirou comes to play at the Tohno estate.  A combination of FSN and each Far Side route of Tsukihime.
1. Prologue: Near Side

AN: This is only the prologue, and I'm not going to devote any further attention to it until I have _Escaping Fate_ finished. This is more like incentive to get me to keep the momentum going when I'm done with that.

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><p>FateFar Side

Prologue

Near Side

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><p>It was raining.<p>

Kohaku sighed, wishing she had a free hand to clear her hair from her eyes. The sudden storm had come out of nowhere and caught her as she did the shopping and she had not bothered to bring an umbrella. Now, she was sure the rice package was wet, the cabbage inundated with the faintly saline rain taste, and the plastic around the fish would be clingy and annoying to remove. _Makihisa-sama gets angry when his food is not perfectly to his liking…_

She moved as fast as her kimono-hindered legs and bag-laden arms would allow, trying desperately to find a place to shield her from the weather. The occasional tree helped some, though the fall weather had scattered many leaves already, leaving only minimal canopy to protect her. The cold breeze that accompanied the rain did not help much either.

The young maid finally found a building with enough of an overhang that protected her from further assault. She put the groceries down and wiped at her eyes and forehead, brushing hair out of her vision, before reaching up and taking the ribbon out of her hair. It had already taken the brunt of the damage and was both uncomfortable against her head and not helping to hold her hair up any longer anyway.

Double-checking the groceries and finding them about as she expected—moist but not yet untenable—Kohaku leaned against the building and sighed. _If this keeps up, I hope Hisui-chan doesn't decide that I'm going to be late and feel she needs to make dinner herself._

Absently watching the few people that passed by, comfortable under their umbrellas, Kohaku considered whether she would just return with soggy clothing and food and use the extra time to work harder on the food preparation, or risk waiting for the weather to abate and not have to worry so much. She spotted a young boy about her age glance her way, look at her sympathetically, then tug on the sleeve of his father as they passed by.

That sympathetic look could not but help to remind her of another distant glance of similar make, of a boy wondering why she was still inside when everyone else in the house was out to play.

_How I hate that look…_

Shoving the thought aside, Kohaku poked her head out from the overhang of the building sheltering her. Though she could spot a location in the sky where the clouds were absent, she could see the faint breeze moving them away from her position. The other direction was completely overcast and even darker than the clouds that hung overhead now.

_Always with the lack of choices. _Kohaku crouched down, tied the ends of the grocery bags together to keep the moisture out as much as possible, and—

Paused when she caught sight of a pair of sneakers in front of her.

She looked up and found the boy from earlier before her, umbrella in hand.

Kohaku blinked up at him vacantly, and he looked a little embarrassed. "Um," he said, "can I walk you to wherever you're going?"

Kohaku blinked at him again. She did not know what to make of this random Samaritan. "It's a little far," she said.

The boy shrugged but said nothing, waiting for an answer.

"…Okay." Kohaku picked the groceries up and motioned in the direction of the Tohno estate. "This way."

Smiling, the stranger held the umbrella over her head as she stepped back out into the rain.

They started down the road and Kohaku huddled underneath the provided shelter. She did not have to move too close, however, as he politely held the umbrella over her instead of himself, keeping her completely dry but taking the full wash of water.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Kohaku asked. "You're getting wet now."

The boy shrugged again, but was silent, his smile still apparent.

Kohaku could not help but think that in the dimness of the overcast sky, the way he beamed at her was all the more out-of-place. She noted that he had amber eyes like her own, though unlike hers they danced to accompany the pleased look on his face.

So intent on trying to work out what felt so odd about this boy, she did not walk as fast as she could and they took a good thirty minutes to make it to her destination. Kohaku frowned as she approached the gates, both at not having explained this irregularity to herself sufficiently by then as well as what awaited her when she stepped back through those doors.

The boy accompanied her to the doors of the mansion, where the eaves of the house shielded them from the rain. Kohaku put the groceries down and turned to address the boy. "Thank you. I'm sorry to have inconvenienced you."

"It wasn't an inconvenience," the boy said. "I like helping out." He closed the umbrella and put it down next to the groceries. "Next time, though, maybe you should take it with you," he said, grinning. With a bow and seemingly without any need for further complements from Kohaku, he darted back out into the rain and the gate.

The weird thing that Kohaku suddenly perceived was how, as he had left the umbrella and turned away, it was like he was leaving all the happiness she had seen with her and was walking away empty-handed. It was a weird dichotomy, like he was absolutely happy just helping some stranger but now was an absence of any feeling once he was no longer needed.

Something about that made Kohaku call out, "What's your name, anyway?"

The boy stopped at the gate, glanced back at her and said, "Shirou Emiya" like it was an afterthought, and crossed the boundaries of the estate and back out into the world.

Kohaku eventually lost sight of the odd boy, and, turning back to the groceries, picked up the umbrella first.

It was not one of those cheap plastic umbrellas one could find at a convenience store, but a custom design of red that seemed to be out of treated cloth of some kind instead of polyester or nylon. It was not exactly a cheap item, and Kohaku wondered why he would so casually leave such a thing to a stranger.

The doors opened, and Makihisa Tohno stepped out of the house. He looked down at Kohaku, his eyes not-quite-glaring at her. "What kept you?"

"It was raining, Makihisa-sama. I did not want the food to get wet."

Makihisa peered out at the sky, then turned his eyes back down at Kohaku.

"A passerby walked me here so I could keep dry," Kohaku answered his unasked question. "It will not happen again."

"See that it does not."

Quietly picking up the umbrella and groceries, Kohaku silently followed her master back into the mansion.

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><p>FateFar Side, Prologue, Out


	2. Chapter 0: Near Side II

AN: Do not expect chapters out as fast as Escaping Fate. I have more projects now than when I started that, and school is going to start soon, with Fall Quarters always the busiest.

My Tsuki-Fu is not as strong as my Fate-Fu, so music is probably going to be heavier on the FSN side. Also, I actually own FSN music, so I know what to look for in reference.

Note that people need not post a response like "I choose option 3!" because I'm doing this in a pre-determined order. The choices are present to segue into the three routes once I have them all done, as in Escaping Fate, god help me.

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><p>FateFar Side

Chapter 0

Near Side II

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><p>Misaki City gave me quite the nostalgic feeling when I stepped off of the train and headed into the city.<p>

It was one of the few places I remembered the old man taking me, where he had been visiting a physician that specialized in the health problems he suffered from. Now that I understood what those health problems had been caused by, it made me wonder if he actually had been visiting a doctor, or if there had been some secretive purpose he had kept hidden from me. One of the very reasons I had come here instead of heading to the other places he had taken me was to explore that curiosity.

We had taken time to merely explore the mundane wonders as well, though. I vaguely remembered the direction of the marketplace we had passed by as well as the hotel we had stayed at, so, shouldering my pack, I headed for those familiar grounds.

The early spring air felt nice as I hoofed it for a while, wandering and allowing myself to get lost before finding my way back onto a main road and major thoroughfare. Trees were showing the earliest signs of blossoming while the streets had clearly been cleaned of salt in assumption that no further snow would come. Kids were getting out of school by the time I was through the larger metropolis portion of the city, passing me on their way toward after-school entertainment with friends. I imagined that many of them would be cramming in time together if they were seniors, about to venture off to get jobs or head for college or any number of other directions.

The downtown area behind me, I continued on past the uniformed students, chuckling at a trio of girls talking about some singer and a pair of boys following said girls with leers apparent in only the way teenage boys had mastered. More passed by, hardly aware of the world as they typed out mail on their phones. I shook my head as one girl passed, her fingers moving over the keypad with the speed I associated with professional abacus competitors: it was less an individual typing and more like a contiguous motion and sound until her entire thought had been processed by the device.

A girl led a boy by the ear past me, and I felt a greater sense of nostalgia and longing for those kinds of days.

Sighing, I forced my mind from that line of thought.

My stomach growled, and I thought back to the onigiri I had many hours ago on the train, and decided to seek sustenance. Briefly I considered returning toward the downtown area, but I could vaguely recall a marketplace ahead, which probably had more to offer than fast food anyway.

It only too maybe half an hour to find the arcade of family-owned stores that Kiritsugu had taken me through before. A bicycle shop, a housewares shop, and other amenities made up the street end I came to, but I spotted a sushi shop and liquor store further along, so I figured there must be a local grocery at some point, though I couldn't recall exactly where. Some of the kids from the same group I had passed earlier on were also returning home, and I espied one inside a floral shop throwing on an apron to help with their family business.

Something in me thought that perhaps, Kiritsugu also felt nostalgia upon seeing everyday things like this, and I wondered if he brought me to such places to experience it for that very reason.

A kimono shop made me pause; probably in preparation of the blossom viewing season that would soon come, a variety of colorful outfits had been placed out on hangars and showcased, along with a range of purses and parasols to accessorize. It reminded me, somehow, of Tohsaka, and I considered the logistics of purchasing a kimono and sending it back to Fuyuki, though I rather doubted Tohsaka would be inclined to go to a viewing this year, especially decked out in full traditional outfitting. She might appreciate the gesture, though—

The smell of something freshly baked overtook that thought. I mentally marked this place for further consideration and wandered back toward the far end of the arcade, where I could see the bakery luring me in. I avoided the fast food places downtown only to be drawn into a bakery full of Japanese confections. How traditional of me.

The kaitenyaki they had freshly prepared trapped me, and I left the store with a bagful of them. I made my way toward the marketplace they had across the street anyway, since sweets would not sustain on a stomach that only had onigiri the entire day.

I munched while shopping for more substantial foods and decided that I would be renting out a more substantial hotel than the capsules I'd been using in other cities. It had been a good month since I last prepared something substantial, and that needed to change.

The little market was nevertheless well kept and I continued to find many things until the basket hanging from my arm was over capacity. I contemplated replacing it with a full-sized cart or just leaving while I still had the chance when, upon turning a corner, I almost crashed headlong into a young woman zipping through the next aisle with the energy of a fox about a chicken coop.

"Whoa!" I halfway exaggerated moving my basket overhead so the contents would not collide with anything and spill. The woman let out a startled "eep!" and needlessly ducked under my move. "Sorry there," I said.

The woman bowed her ribbon-clad head. "No really, my fault, I should look where I'm go—" she abruptly cut off, though, when she raised her eyes to look up at me. "Shirou Emiya?" she whispered.

I blinked, giving her a closer look. Pale red hair and rather bright eyes met mine; she wore a kimono that looked well-kept and a blue ribbon that added to her girlish disposition. I thought hard but could not really recall her from anyplace. "Do I know you?"

Blushing furiously, the woman took a step back and raised her free hand, waving it before her like it would ward off further embarrassment. "Sorry, sorry, you just look a lot like someone, uh?"

"No, my name is Shirou Emiya, I just…" I wish I had a free hand to protect myself from embarrassment as well. As it was, I could only hold out a shopping basket or a paper bag with hotcakes in them. "I'm sorry, I'm not from around here, so I don't know how we've met?"

She tilted her head and then grinned sheepishly. "O-Oh! Sorry, I, yeah, that makes sense." She glanced toward the entrance of the market. "It was a long time ago. You walked me home one night when it was raining."

It had been nearly ten years since I was last here, and my memories of that time are pretty hazy. I remember walking the streets here mainly because I remembered trying to emulate the old man, tried to take in my surroundings in the same way he seemed to. Of course, that only proves how much of a failure I was at that, since I don't even recall meeting anyone.

I suppose it sounded like something I'd do, and she knew my name, but, damn my memory. Too full of swords, probably.

Well, they say memory is tied to sounds and scents just as much, so maybe if it were raining…

"Sorry, I really don't remember, miss…?"

"Kohaku," she said, grinning. "Like the color. Or the fish." She giggled.

My mind immediately conjured up the image of a koi wearing a ribbon and kimono. I shoved it violently from my mind. "Yeah, Kohaku-san, sorry. I'm pretty terrible with faces."

"That's alright, and just Kohaku is fine." She glanced at my basket-full of food. "So, you're not from around here you say? What brings you back?"

I shrugged, trying to figure out a way to explain it without, well, explaining it. "Just passing through, to be honest. I graduated last year and thought I'd wander the country a little bit. Visiting places I haven't been to in a long time mostly."

Someone brushed past us and I decided to return to my wanderings down the aisle as originally intended, though slowly to not give this Kohaku the brush off. Actually, it was rather interesting to hear this story about myself I couldn't even recall that she somehow remembered so well that it included my name. Did she have an eidetic memory or something?

Kohaku swung her own basket behind her and demurely followed, even though she had just come from this direction. Well, _flown_ might have been a better verb. "And in that entire time, did you not eat or something?"

I grinned, glancing at the food I had piled up, from early fresh asparagus and fennel to kumquats and lemons, plus some local poultry. It did look more like a home meal than a traveler's diet. "Haven't had a chance to cook anything in a while. Thought I might try tonight."

"You have a place to stay, then?"

I shook my head. "Na, I was going to check into a place later." I shook my head again, this time ruefully. "Probably looking really weird with a bunch of food."

"Weeeeeell," Kohaku grinned in delight, bouncing to my side and bowing slightly to look up at me from a posture that reminded me significantly of Illya. "You could always come stay at my place. We have tons of guest rooms and never anybody to patronize them…"

My eyebrows rose. "Do you work at a ryokan then?"

"No, I work as a live-in maid at an old family house. I'm real good friends with the head of the family, though." She squeezed her eyes closed and wrinkled her forehead. "Besides, she's finishing up with school herself and hasn't been around as much. I have nobody to appreciate my good cooking!"

I tried to hold back a snort; it came out something like a protracted sneeze. "Are you trying to get me into trouble? It sure sounds like it."

She grinned again. "No, really, I don't think she would mind."

"You hardly know me. I can't believe you'd just invite a total stranger to your home."

Her expression softened from the exaggerated levity to something a little more appropriate for a normal person. "I know your name, Shirou Emiya. And you might not remember it, but I'd like to thank you for before, since I have the chance." She winked. "Besides, how can you turn down a maiden's pure wish to thank her savior?"

I honestly tried to keep my smile, but the way Kohaku seemed to lose a tiny bit of the energy in her own expression upon seeing mine meant I probably didn't make it all the way. _A__ maiden__'__s__ pure__ wish_ sure sounded nice like that. But I relented. "Alright, just-Kohaku-is-fine, you win." I held up my basket. "Though I'll have to see about cooking for you, just to upstage you one again."

Kohaku stood full erect and gave me an exaggerated look of challenge. "We will see about that, good sir. I hope to strike you dead with one blow of my cooking charm, though!"

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><p>I was really, <em>really<em> full.

Kohaku had brought me to the mansion she lived at—it really was a mansion, Western-styled and freaking huge—and had settled me and my things in before retreating into the kitchen to prepare her "cooking charm."

The house had struck me, though, vaguely recalling a memory of walking someone to someplace like it. It was really hazy in my mind, though, and, well, I remembered nothing about this Kohaku, really. I don't remember the person I met talking at all…

Dinner had been a nice affair, though, between the two of us; Kohaku's sister apparently was busy with some project and the head of the house Akiha Tohno would not be in until late. She showed me to the absolutely enormous dining room where we ate kitty-corner amidst the table and she brought out a brilliant dish of roasted lamb that was heartier than anything I'd had in probably the last six months.

So I ate much, and Kohaku, schemer she seemed to be, had managed to wrest out information from me. I wondered if she worked for the Japanese government and I was under suspicion for tax evasion or something.

"So, you live in Fuyuki, graduated last year, and worked part time as a mechanic. You love cooking but think your Chinese cuisine isn't up to par. Your father took you to a few cities and you've been retracing his steps for nostalgia's sake while trying to find some direction in life. And your girlfriend Rin Tohsaka is waiting for your return. Anything I missed?"

I had rolled my eyes. "Tohsaka isn't my girlfriend."

"That's what they all say. It's called the tsundere-denial, I think, when you play off the relationship as nothing more than friendship, when everyone else can see it. First time I've met a tsundere like you."

Apparently, Kohaku liked to watch television. Weird television.

After stuffing myself full, I had retired to the room Kohaku had shown me and tried to remember how long it had been since I'd had interaction like that. True, I sometimes phoned back home to talk with Fuji-nee or Tohsaka, but really, this was the longest I'd spoken with anyone since leaving on this not-so-little-anymore-trip.

We really had eaten and talked a long time, though, as the clock next to my bed read 10:12 PM when I took note of it. I kind of wondered what project Hisui, Kohaku's sister, was supposed to be working on or what this Akiha Tohno was doing at her school so late.

It had, though, been a few days since I had the space and privacy necessary to do a little practice. So, despite my curiosity once I heard voices elsewhere in the house, I decided to stay in and feign having gone to bed already.

"_Trace,__ on._"

I pulled the necklace out from beneath my shirt, running my fingers along the red ribbon that held the two devices there in place: the ruby heart-shaped gem and the blue keychain charm. My eyes closed and I took a deep breath.

Imagine it.

"_Finishing__ resonance__ of__ possessed __experience_."

The vision I wanted sprang to mind, the blue grip, golden guard, silver edge…

"_Processes__ completed. __Projections __standby_."

I opened my eyes and the blade sat in my lap, as if it had always been there, gleaming with the golden light of promised victory.

Yet no enemy to battle, nor its true possessor in sight.

The weapon slowly disintegrated as if made of dust, and I let the golden lights scatter like fairy dust over the Darling children's room.

"_Trace,__ off_."

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><p>I rolled over in bed, and eyed the clock.<p>

5:02 AM.

I glanced to the window, but only belatedly realized the curtains had been drawn. I had gotten a good six hours of sleep, so really, I ought to get up. Complacency, Saber would have said, is the enemy, and I chortled at the thought of the blond warrior saying so with such a straight face. Still, I was a guest, and I might not even be welcome to roam the house even if I did get up.

I…

Might as well sleep in. It's been a while since I've had the opportunity. (Proceed to HH Chapter 1)

Better get up. Haven't even greeted the master of the house yet. (Proceed to OB Chapter 1)

Wonder if I can sneak into the kitchen and surprise everyone first. (Proceed to SB Chapter 1)

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><p>FateFar Side, Near Side II, End

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><p>花見 Hanami, lit. "blossom viewing." What Shirou and Sakura promise to see together in HF.<p>

Kaitenyaki: Think small cakes filled with a kind of jelly, about the size of a biscuit but made with waffle batter. A lot like taiyaki without the fish-shape.

Look up capsule hotels. Then laugh. They look like stacked washing machines!

Kohaku's name is "amber" but also a homonym for a kind of carp.

A ryokan is a traditional Japanese-styled inn, as opposed to a Western hotel. Rooms have tatami and traditionally-styled furniture, as in the Emiya household style as opposed to the Tohno household. Guests are often given yukata—summer kimonos—and eat traditional food, and the proprietors are often dressed suitably, much as Kohaku usually dresses.


	3. HH Chapter 1: Bright Nightmares

AN: I just want everyone to know, writing dialogue that doesn't have contractions is a pain in the neck.

Route subtitle is so not what you are probably thinking, but all three route subtitles are puns of some kind.

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><p>FateFar Side: Healing Hands

Chapter 1

Bright Nightmares

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><p>I rolled back over into the comfortably warm spot I had just vacated and closed my eyes. Not having to worry about a checkout time really was a luxury I hadn't had in a while and I might as well make use of it.<p>

Though…

I wondered…

I chased the errant thoughts from my mind.

The ticking of the old-fashioned clock lulled me back under, and it wasn't long before I felt that strange space between lucidity and dream-state.

I honestly couldn't remember the last time I had slept so long…

…

…

…

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><p>"<em>Shirou, don't!"<em>

_He didn't listen, charging in, his thoughts only on the victim that would come from this. It didn't matter that he could not stop it, could not win; he just had to try._

"_Trace, on!"_

_The paired scimitars formed in his hand and he placed himself between the enemy and Illya, ready to deflect any incoming attacks. He could do this, something in him had started to grow, and he knew he could at least imitate Tohsaka's Servant—_

_And the monstrous figure, his white mask staring at him in mockery, removed the shroud from his right arm. The black fabric rippled like a dancing flag, revealing the demonic arm beneath, bent back at what should have been the wrist, wavering as if behind the haze of the summer heat…_

"_Zabaniya—!"_

_The horrible sound of flesh being torn assaulted my ears, followed by a deep pain within my chest, one I could never recover from._

_Blood splattered the frosted grass._

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><p>I jumped up from the feeling of pressure on my chest.<p>

No ivory-masked assailant before me, no winter air numbing my senses. Instead, I halfway scrambled up the headboard of a Western-styled bed and caught sight of Kohaku before me.

I tried to force myself to calm down, realizing belatedly that I was short of breath and sweating. "Guh…er, s-sorry, Ko—"

"There is no need to apologize," the maid said in perfect monotone. "You were screaming in your sleep. It is only natural to try and wake you from such a nightmare."

Maybe it was my mind still trying to reorganize itself following sleep, but I was suddenly hit with the image of a red-haired girl in the rain, looking lost and forlorn without an umbrella to protect her. I remembered that Kohaku had said we met once before, and now I could recall the vague impression, but…

I stared at the girl before me. "Kohaku?"

The girl gave a tight shake of her head. "My name is Hisui. I am Kohaku's sister."

The sleep-fogginess in my head did nothing to help arrange my thoughts. I was still waiting for Assassin to appear out of the corners of the room and trying to figure out why my heart was still beating, yet I still had to figure out what had gone wrong with this unreality before me.

I could remember the look on the face of the girl I had met when I came here, years ago, and it looked a lot more like the one before me here. But Kohaku had told me it had definitely been here I had met, so the fact that I could not associate her with the image in my head, yet could with the sister in front of me was extremely confusing.

All after just having woken up.

"Sorry," I said, rubbing my eyes and slowly climbing down from the bed. Hisui moved to let me have my space. "And sorry for making noise."

"No, it is not a problem," Hisui said, bowing. "It was my duty to wake you in the first place, as breakfast will soon be ready. Your clothes have also been washed, Emiya-sama."

I glanced over at where I had put my dirty clothes to find them gone; instead, they were on the desk opposite of the bed, neatly folded. Somewhere deep in my mind, I resolved to _never_ let Fuji-nee know of this place, as she would never have to do anything on her own ever again. "Just Shirou is fine," I told her.

"Very well, Emiya-sama."

Clearly, this one would be the boke in the family.

As I went for my clothes and Hisui made for the door, a thought occurred to me. "Um, Hisui-san, I didn't happen to say anything when you came in, did I?"

The maid paused, her back turned to me, and I had my answer. When she turned, it seemed as if she had carefully schooled her expression to match earlier, and I began to understand a little that she distanced herself very purposefully. "You were crying out a name," she admitted.

I sighed. Yeah, that wasn't exactly a surprise.

"Have you…" she seemed to consider her words, "been in the military, or something of the like, Emiya-sama?"

I shook my head, though the thought did not surprise me. I did not often have nightmares, really, but I bet that I resembled a soldier suffering Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome when I did. "No. Well, it's nothing important, I just didn't want to scare you or anything."

Hisui regarded me carefully. "Words you speak of in dreams could scare someone?"

I smiled, ruefully, scratching the back of my head. "Maybe not scare them inherently. Just, well, maybe I would come off as scary."

Hisui turned back toward the door. "No, Emiya-sama, I do not believe you could scare me." She opened the door and a wave of fresh air hit me; I had not realized that the room had become stuffy, though if I had been having a night terror it should not have surprised me. "Nee-san said breakfast will be ready in fifteen minutes, if you will excuse me."

Bowing, I watched her go, wondering what it was her words meant exactly. I could really be reading too much into it, though. Considering the kind of reactions I got from Tohsaka whenever I mentioned things past, I thought my entire basis of comparison was warped and I really could not make out what the average person was and was not afraid of.

I glanced at the clock, which now read 8:53, and had to blink in surprise. I seriously could not recall sleeping in so late since, well, _ever_.

Fingering the enamel keychain briefly, I grinned, grabbing my clothes. I really needed to be careful: sleep was probably the enemy.

* * *

><p>I changed and briefly washed up, then considered the clothing I still had stowed away in my bag. What I normally wore was comfortable but extremely casual, and I wondered what the master of this kind of house would think of me if I showed up like an unwashed kid, relatively speaking. Tohsaka never seemed to mind, though Tohsaka never needed to keep up the appearance of a rich noblewoman in private.<p>

The clothes actually made me wonder how deeply I had slept, since I had never detected anyone entering my room last night or this morning to get my laundry. My mind briefly settled on the image of Hisui as a ninja roping down from the ceiling in a climbing harness to grab my clothes, and then shoved it from my mind.

What was with me and the random images lately?

I descended the stairs and headed for the dining room, pausing at the entryway when I spotted that it was occupied. A young woman sat at the far end of the table, sipping something, and I nodded to myself: Akiha Tohno, the head of the family. She looked younger than me, though by the demure way she held her cup, it was pretty clear she projected older than she was.

"You may enter, you do not have to stand there uselessly," she said.

I bowed briefly. "Sorry for the intrusion." Hisui, standing just out of sight in the corner of the room, approached and motioned me to a place that had been set out at the table.

Settling in, Kohaku took that moment to appear, bringing out two plates that she settled in front of Tohno-san and me. I could tell that the Western-styled omelet, just like the previous night's food, was expertly prepared even just by looking at it, and I felt the incredible urge to charge into that kitchen and challenge Kohaku to a duel. With spatulas.

"Thank you for the meal," I said, but I did not dive right in and instead watched Tohno-san.

She had given the same thanks, but was now eyeing me. After a moment, her stoic face relented into a smile. "No need to wait on me, Emiya-san. I can already tell you are well-mannered."

I grinned. "Just making sure." And after taking a bite, that urge to jump up and slap Kohaku with a glove truly was at the forefront of my mind.

"So, Emiya-san," Tohno-san said after a few bites herself, "What brings you to Misaki? Kohaku mentioned you were traveling?"

I nodded. "I graduated last year and felt like wandering Japan for a while before I got a permanent job." Though that probably sounded a little odd, since it was actually fairly difficult to get a job when it was not right after graduation. "My father brought me here before, and so I thought it might be nice to visit again."

"I see." She nodded, probably giving what she had heard from Kohaku consideration. I wonder how much the maid had told her about us supposedly meeting before. "Any definite plans?"

"No," I admitted. "I was probably just going to wander around and sightsee for a little bit, then decide whether I should return home just yet."

Tohno-san nodded again, and seemed to regard me with a sympathetic eye. When she glanced ever-so-briefly in Hisui's direction, it made sense, as the straight-faced maid must have also reported what she had seen to the master of the house. Kohaku, it seems, might have left things out of her explanation to let me handle, but Hisui seemed very by-the-book in terms of what she would do.

Made me even more curious as to what exactly the project was that Kohaku had mentioned Hisui was working on last night. If she deemed it important enough, I suppose I could envision the serious girl working through the night on whatever it was.

"Then, you are welcome to stay here until you have concrete plans," Tohno-san said. "Since you have been traveling for some time, I can understand that it could be a burden to constantly be thinking of places to stay and arrangements to be made."

I couldn't help the probably goofy-looking smile that came to me. The way she worded it, though severely uptight and serious, reminded me a lot of the sort of distance Tohsaka tried to give herself when she was only really trying to be nice. That reminder just had me feel like any wall Tohno-san might have up between us, even though I was some random somebody off the street that one of her maids had picked up, was there only for appearances' sake.

Though, the comparison to Tohsaka also had me waiting for the other shoe to drop. That was an unfair thought, though, since nothing I had seen suggested Tohno-san was the devil in disguise like Tohsaka was.

"Then," I said, glancing Kohaku's way, "only if I can return the hospitality by fixing you all dinner at some point. I consider myself to be a fairly good cook, and Kohaku's cooking only has me raring to prove it to you."

Kohaku hummed, grinning back at me. "That sounds like a challenge." She winked. "Or you're really an assassin sent to do Akiha-sama in so a rival faction can have power over the estate, and instead of cutting our throats at night you plan on poisoning our dinners."

I stared at Kohaku and again wondered what kind of television she watched, exactly.

"We shall see, on the dinner account," Tohno-san said. "Though a man who finds himself comfortable in the kitchen frightens me somewhat."

I grinned, and Tohno-san met it with a slight smirk of her own, like she was in on the joke.

* * *

><p>When we had finished breakfast, I had been politely dismissed so Akiha could handle some kind of business matters—her Saturdays off from school were reserved for handling family matters. Hisui escorted me out into the foyer of the mansion, and I had to ask, "So, Kohaku told you about the fact that she and I met when we were younger?"<p>

Hisui nodded. "Of course. She is my sister and we do explain such things to one another."

I really wanted to try and approach the issue of why Hisui reminded me more of what my memory matched up with, but it was certainly too impolite to bring up.

"Are you planning on going out today, Emiya-sama?"

I nodded, though I resisted the urge to shake at that address. It _really_ did not sound right to me. "Yeah, I was probably going to go into the city today. Is there a groceries list that I could steal? I could pick up food afterward so you or Kohaku aren't burdened by it."

It was barely perceptible, but Hisui looked surprised at that; a slight flicker in her eyes. "Yes, well, nee-san was planning on making a traditional Japanese oden meal since you had mentioned your cooking skills included traditional foods." A hint of something resembling amusement touched her lips. "You seem to have lit a fire under her."

"I do what I can." I thought of oden and its ingredients. "I saw her get some daikon yesterday, so should I get some konjac, eggs, and fish?"

"I believe that would be acceptable." Hisui looked wary now, her eyebrows narrowing. "Are you certain? I am sure nee-san does not consider it out of her way to go shopping."

I smiled. "I would honestly feel really terrible to intrude on your hospitality without doing something. Perhaps tomorrow, I can clean your floors or something too."

As I made to go get my things from the bedroom, I caught Hisui staring after me with a very sad look on her face, and I began to wonder what exactly was going on with these sisters.

* * *

><p>Healing Hands: Bright Nightmares, End<p>

* * *

><p>In Japanese manzai comedy, boke is somewhat analogous to the Western "funny man." Hisui actually <em>sounds<em> like the tsukkomi "straight man" because her straight-faced deadpan is meant to be un-funny, but she actually makes "mistakes" like a boke in that she doesn't get the intention. If Kohaku were present when Hisui still adds "-sama" to a person's name, she would correct it and tease Hisui for that mistake, which is what a tsukkomi is supposed to do (tsukkomi means something like "to interrupt").

Even when already in the house, in a situation like the dining room, a polite Japanese would not necessarily enter without first being acknowledged, and then do so with an "ojamashimasu" or "shitsureishimasu," which are literally something like "I'm disturbing you" or "I'm being impolite" respectively, but basically mean "pardon me."

It sounds weird at least to me, but, Shirou has no excuse to call Akiha by her given name. She's not his direct kohai like Sakura, not a friend like Issei or Shinji, and doesn't have a single name like Saber (or Kohaku and Hisui), and he defaults to surnames for both Rin and Ayako, as is proper.


	4. HH Chapter 2: Veiled Dreams

AN: Yes, unlike the other fic, I'm not releasing all options at once here. That would take triple the amount of time and you'd have to leap-frog every chapter if you're reading a route through. Additionally, information you find out in Healing Hands will be pertinent to know in Origami Blades and Synchronized Body, the other two routes, just like playing through Fate - UBW - HF. Unlike the other one, I'm going to assume you'll read each option in turn.

Yeah, once again, not much is happening early on. I know I did the same with _Escaping Fate_, but, well, not much action happens in Far Side _Tsukihime_ either...

* * *

><p>FateFar Side: Healing Hands

Chapter 2

Veiled Dreams

* * *

><p>Though wandering the city had pretty much been like a haze of mindless distraction to me, mealtime had actually been a sort of fun, memorable event. Kohaku's nabe dinner had been very good, and somehow Tohno-san and I ended up in this unspoken challenge of who could eat in the most polite manner, counting the times the other had to reach for a napkin and who splattered what when slurping up our respective soups.<p>

The entire time, while Tohno-san gave cool little smiles and Kohaku blushed at the complements of food, Hisui stood off watching it all silently. And something about how she eyed everything, committing it to memory…

Maybe it reminded me of a certain swordswoman.

The thought was enough to keep my mind wandering as I went to bed, and I continually woke up at the thought, part disturbed by the similarities and part afraid of having a repeat nightmare. I would manage maybe twenty minutes at a time, but by two in the morning I had woken up seven or eight times.

"_I just…had a dream, is all."_

Sighing, I climbed out of bed and went for my bag, rifling through it until I found the book Tohsaka had given me. It was a real basic study on magic application related to Reinforcement, and sadly it was more complex than most of the things that I had ever taught myself. Apparently magi of families like Tohsaka's studied this sort of material when they were still children.

I switched the desk lamp on and set the book down, but paused when I heard the floorboards outside my door shift faintly. Considering the last evening when Hisui had ninja'd her way into the room multiple times while I was unaware, I was doubly sure to pay attention. Not that I thought anyone was going to kill me in my sleep or anything, but considering it wasn't my own home and didn't have a boundary field to alert me of danger…

There was a faint knock from the door, and I shook my head. If this was danger, it certainly was polite to let me know it was coming first. "Come in."

Hisui came through the door, a shawl the only difference to how she looked earlier. It didn't exactly surprise me, as this mansion does get cool during the night. "Emiya-sama, you are still awake?"

"I could ask the same thing," I put one of the few fiction books I had brought with me for entertainment over the magus journal.

"I do not sleep much," Hisui admitted. "Are you concerned about another nightmare?"

I gave a rueful grin and turned to face her fully. It was hard to remember, but I think of the three people here, Hisui was actually the most perceptive. I don't know if it was because she was the most quiet and listened better, or if she just noticed things better. One just always had to contend with the almost robotic way she responded to things and weigh against said perceptiveness. "Maybe a little. Checking up on me to make sure I don't wake the rest of the house?"

Hisui nodded once, like she had been prepared for that question. "It would be improper to allow a guest to be in discomfort."

I glanced at the clock, then shook my head. "If I'm ever having a nightmare and making noise at this hour, no need to check on me. Just clock me over the head with a large stick to wake me up."

"That makes very little sense. Harming you in such a way may give you a concussion, and there are less violent methods of waking people."

Of course, I also had to remind myself, perceptiveness and the ability to use them in a social manner were separate things. She did still use keigo with me, after all. "I was trying to make a joke."

Hisui stared at me with the same intense look; clearly, I failed to understand my audience.

"If I'm ever having a nightmare, you have full permission to do whatever you feel is necessary to quiet me or wake me up, however embarrassing or painful it may be to me," I said. "Does that make sense?"

"Most people would not tolerate embarrassing or painful methods," Hisui said.

Even with Saber, if I was completely straightforward, she usually relented, since she could respond with sincerity in turn.

That made it official: Hisui had Saber defeated in the stoic category. Huh.

"Still, makes it simple." I grinned at her. "I don't particularly want to have a nightmare or be a disturbance, so anything is alright to me. I'm not worried."

Hisui continued to stare, and I managed to discern from it what was going on. It was a little weird, but, I felt like though she tried very hard to maintain that neutral expression, there were little tells throughout that leaked through. I couldn't tell what, exactly, told me this, though.

I decided to just put it out there. "If you have a question, there's no need to hold it in. I'm the one intruding on your hospitality after all, and a stranger at that."

Again, despite the fact that her expression did not change, there was something going on behind her eyes that said there was a stern battle between the proper maid and the inquisitive person going on. "What you have said before suggests that the nightmare you experienced was more akin to a memory. You also were saying foreign names. Have you lost somebody recently? The father you speak of?"

I shrugged. "Well, yeah, my father passed away, though that was a while back and it was under peaceful conditions." Remembering his expression as he died, I could not help but nod to myself. The promise I made then, at least now I had the capacity to achieve it. Even if I had no clue on the direction still.

"This…Sa-ber? The name of the one you were saying in your sleep."

"Yeah." It occurred to me that Hisui might have been jumping to a conclusion in naming it a person that the word was associated with. On the other hand, I doubt many people said random foreign sword names in their sleep. Beside me, anyway.

"He or she passed away?"

Grinning, I could not help but reach up and touch where the pendant and keychain hung beneath my shirt. "Not exactly. It's complicated…I guess you could say she went far away, where I'll never see her again."

Hisui's eyebrows dropped, and I watched her carefully. She had given me a similar look when I had gone out for the day and it was the first obvious shift from the mask that she maintained. "I see," she said.

"I try to focus on the positive aspects, though," I said. I could tell this was somehow resonating with something she knew or felt and I really didn't want to bring this all down into some kind of regretful contemplation. "Saber taught me a lot of things, and I keep them very close at all times."

Hisui sat at the chair in front of the vanity that sat next to the door, still staring intently, though now it seemed almost like a school kid watched a teacher intently. "What kind of things?"

I could not help but snort at the immediate image that came to mind. "Well, for instance, to never tease a woman about meals or their weight."

Now, finally, a different expression creased her face: one of stern disappointment. "That would be obvious from the start, should it not?"

Once again, because of Saber, I could draw parallels, and the vibe Hisui was sending my way must be what was comparable to Saber's killing intent. It was quite cute since I didn't have to actually worry for my life this time. I think. "It _should_, but I'll admit to not being the brightest person in the world…"

* * *

><p>"I apologize for taking up so much of your time. I should leave so you may refresh yourself and prepare for breakfast."<p>

I blinked and then glanced to the clock, which read 7:44. My mind started to spin and I only then realized that the room had in fact lightened despite the curtains drawn over the window. "Wow, I completely lost track of the time."

And it was true. Perhaps it was that sense that Hisui was a careful listener, or I just had a lot to get off my chest, but I hadn't even realized we had been talking for so long. I suppose I had a rapport with Tohsaka that included long bouts of chatting, though I think that was more like one of us trying to outsmart the other.

"I'm sorry I kept you so long," I said. "If you want I can talk to Tohno-san and ask that you be allowed to sleep in today."

"No, that will not be necessary," Hisui said, bowing and going for the door. "I have some repair work that must be done today."

"Then let me help," I said, brightening. "I'm pretty handy with a hammer or a wrench. Probably wouldn't scare Tohno-san so much if I went for that instead of the offer to cook, actually, huh?"

Hisui sighed. "Is there anything you are not handy at, Emiya-sama?"

"My English sucks."

"Ah." I'm not sure if she thought I was serious or joking. "It is of no concern. I am plenty capable myself."

"I never thought otherwise," I said. "But if I'm going to impose on the family here and take over one of Kohaku's duties once in return, it's only fair that I try and do the same for you too, right?"

Hisui sighed again. "You are our _guest_, Emiya-sama. You do not need to be thinking about repayment when it is very clear that Akiha-sama and nee-san like your company."

I gave an exaggerated sigh to match hers. "I _like_ helping. Apparently, it's what brought me here in the first place."

The edges of Hisui's eyes softened, and once again I was gifted with the mask slipping away and a different emotion piercing through, though this was a little more melancholic. "Nee-san did say you just happened to help her out."

"Yeah, though I don't really remember it well. Actually, the image in my head of her matches you more than it matches her, to be honest."

Hisui turned back to the door; I could see her shoulders droop marginally, though. "Yes, I am sure it does," she said quietly. Her head came up, as if in resolve. "If it truly is because you simply like to help, then I do not mind if you wish to accompany me."

The change in direction there made me tilt my head. I wondered what subtext it was I missed: I could clearly make out that she was thinking of something related in her head, but I could not tell what. "Yes, I would like to."

"Then I would suggest changing into something that you do not mind getting dirty. If you are determined to work, I will give you clear tasks that must be accomplished in a timely fashion."

Even though she was still facing away, I had to give her a grin. "Thanks, Hisui."

She paused, clearly unsure how to respond to that, nodded, and left.

I could not help but think of my victory in convincing Saber to train me in swordfighting. Somehow, this felt just as significant.

I truly wish I could have met her before and introduced her to Saber. The two of them were completely cut from the same cloth.

Throwing my shirt off and going for my bag, I could not help but catch the reflection in the vanity across the room, and how the keychain seemed to glint with light. Perhaps it was all wrong, and Saber really had passed on—and had been reborn into this girl, this maid. That would be quite the miracle too.

A greater one than saving my life, that's for sure.

* * *

><p>Healing Hands: Veiled Dreams, End<p>

* * *

><p>Keigo is the bane of any JSL person's existence. It is the hierarchy in which the Japanese language exists for social norms: people speak in certain ways with certain people depending on their standing with the other person in the community or family or whatnot. Hisui speaks like a traditional maid or servant in addressing everyone else in supremely elevated positions and addressing herself humbly. It is a very complicated form of speech and even the average Japanese person can have trouble with it.<p> 


	5. HH Chapter 3: Long Journeys

AN: I just want all of you to know, figuring out the logistics on this story sucks. You'll see why…in about 25 chapters.

* * *

><p>FateFar Side: Healing Hands

Chapter 3

Long Journeys

* * *

><p>The repair work Hisui had to do was not anything large like I had expected, but a bunch of smaller tasks, everywhere from replacing a damaged piece of crown molding to repainting a windowsill that had various cracks along the finish. Such little things baffled me, though I really had nothing for comparison; maybe this really was just standard operation with such an affluent family.<p>

Hisui did have me help cut some lumber for a bigger project, though I'm not really sure what she was up to exactly. One piece included a 2x4 as tall as me that had one end sharpened like a wooden stake.

"Going vampire hunting?" I asked.

"I do not know of any vampires in this city," Hisui said in her usual monotone.

I did chuckle at her response, though, since the average person would say, "vampires do not exist." Hisui was apparently of the opinion that whether they did or didn't exist was irrelevant if she had no personal knowledge of them.

Most of the questions I posed to her were answered with terse little replies and any further attempts at joking seemed to pass through one ear and out the other. The rest of the time, she was generally quiet, and I watched her for slips in her expression, though none came while we worked.

All tirelessly, despite the lack of sleep I had caused her.

"Anything else?" I asked when we had finished cleaning the gutters. Well, actually, Hisui cleaned and she delegated me to keeping the ladder steady, which I suppose was fulfilling the proper need to keep me from doing any major work while still keeping me useful.

"No, that is all the cleaning and repair work that needs to be done," Hisui said, climbing back down. Once down, she lifted the later and brought it down sideways so it could be carried.

I grinned at the reminder that she was used to doing these sorts of chores alone. "_All_ of it?"

"For the springtime, yes."

"By the way, why doesn't Kohaku help you?"

There was a faint twitching of her cheek and I wondered if she was holding back frustration, amusement, or something else. "Nee-san becomes very distracted when she does cleaning work and often leaves things very untidy."

Very untidy. I held back from a laugh. "I see. Well, no need to disturb her for further work, I suppose, until the summer heat rolls around then?"

Hisui nodded, then glanced around. Carefully, she said, "Which is the best help you could give."

I stared at her, and she took on the tiniest of red in her cheeks. I see. Seems even Kohaku has a weakness. I would have to file it away under "do not disturb" however, since I didn't want to get Hisui into trouble.

* * *

><p>Dinner was again a rather stunning affair, as Kohaku proved she was certainly my better at Chinese food. Her steamed eggs were delicious and even Tohno-san seemed surprised at the preparation. "Kohaku usually does not make Chinese dishes," she had said. "I think she means to break your spirit before you even try to assert yourself in making a dish."<p>

I grinned. "Takes more than this to break me." I took another spoonful, then said, "though I am pretty intimidated at this point."

"You better believe it!" Kohaku said over Tohno-san's shoulder.

When dinner was over and Tohno-san retreated to bed, Kohaku walked me up to my room, grinning the entire time. "So Hisui told me you helped her out all day?"

"Yeah, though I didn't really do much, unfortunately." What we did went through my mind, and I asked, "Do you know what she's doing with a huge wooden stake? Do you have a fence post broken or something?"

Kohaku looked pretty funny at that, possibly because I'd swear the first thing that went through her mind before I brought up the fence post was, like it did for me, _vampire_. "Not that I can think of."

"She wouldn't tell me, but if you can wheedle it out of her I'd like to know. Somehow, as strong as Hisui seems to be, I don't quite imagine her going out and hammering that thing in herself."

That set Kohaku off into a fit of giggles. "You're probably right on that," she said between her hysterics. "I don't want her trying that on her own either. Mainly because she wouldn't stop trying until whatever it was had been done to perfection."

"That sounds about right. Anyway, the ground is still pretty cold and hard out right now, so I'll probably be gone before she tries anything, but you might keep it in mind and ask for some help or something." I recalled the missing-in-action member of this family that Tohno-san had brought up. "Isn't Tohno-san's older brother going to be back?"

Kohaku calmed down, her nose wrinkling still at the thought of Hisui's epic battle with a wooden post. "He's in Europe with his girlfriend. I'm not sure when he's coming back."

"Regardless, you might see about getting someone taller to help." An image of Berserker cropped up in my head, and I shuddered.

"When Hisui is ready to talk about it, I'll be sure to," Kohaku said. "I try not to pry…too much."

I grinned at her fox-like expression. "Yeah." I bowed and took my leave at the door to my room. "You're a good sister. Goodnight, Kohaku-san."

"Goodnight, Shirou."

Had I closed the door faster, I might not have caught the glimpse of the oddly blank look Kohaku gave me.

And an odd sense of déjà vu hit me.

* * *

><p>The next day I went into town to ask around about local physicians, trying to track down the one that Kiritsugu might have been communicating with. Unfortunately, my searching proved about as successful as trying to get the empty look Kohaku had given me out of my mind. The former was easy to explain: I couldn't exactly go around town asking, "Have you spoken in the past with a magus about the hellish miasma he was doused in twelve years ago during a secret war between legendary heroes?"<p>

Kohaku…bothered me for a different reason. The expression I had caught was much more like the one I'd finally remembered from when Kiritsugu had brought me to this city before. It was very clear in my mind now that yes, I had met her, and yes, she had carried a look that I very much recognized when I looked in the mirror sometimes: the expression of someone who felt empty inside.

I had thought Hisui had carried it now, for some reason, but I got that Kohaku really was the one I had met and they weren't somehow pulling my leg. It bothered me, though, the reason she seemed so cheerful otherwise.

It was…

The warning bells that had failed me before in life seemed to be working now, at least.

Slightly murkier weather than before crept up as the day went on, so I decided to head back to the Tohno estate before sundown and caught sight of a car and a limousine outside of the main gate. I understood that Tohno-san was driven to her school in a car and the time was about right for her arrival, but the limousine threw me: Why take two such vehicles to and from school?

I rounded down the street that passed the main gate and brought myself to the South-Eastern corner of the estate wall, keeping watch from the corner. It would probably trouble Tohno-san if I just waltzed right in and she had to explain anything, but something told me to keep an eye out.

The backside passenger door facing the estate was open, and Tohno-san was in front of it, addressing someone still seated in the car. Tohno-san's expression was extremely displeased and the way she stood suggested that she was even physically wary of these people. A black-suited man stood behind the door, a servant of some kind holding it open for whoever was within, though when he started to look my way I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and I pulled my gaze behind the wall.

Some kind of bodyguard, then, if I was reacting to some sort of perceived danger. I clutched the pendant beneath my collar briefly and then glanced back out.

Tohno-san had her arms crossed now, and she looked outright mad now, though she was nodding to something the person inside the car said.

I could Reinforce my eyes to see better, but I hadn't quite perfected the hearing and often blew my ears out afterward when I tried in situations like this, so I refrained from an attempt this time around. I'm not sure I could easily explain why I had suddenly become deaf.

There seemed to be some kind of agreement that passed between them, and Tohno-san stepped back and allowed the door to the limousine closed. There, I caught sight that the man standing at the door had—

My eyes went wide. These types didn't strike me as Yakuza, but the man was carrying a short sword with a blade two shaku and two sun long, and more than that he'd flicked the blade out of the scabbard, ready to be drawn.

The blade…

Just…

_I am the bone of my sword._

There was no helping it, and I ducked back behind the corner. My hands, as if moving on their own accord took grip of an invisible length. "_Trace, on._"

The blade formed in hand and I stared at it in odd fascination.

It literally was made out of bone.

Glancing back out toward the gate, the bodyguard had slipped back into the car himself and the limo was raring up to go. I caught sight of the license plate and etched it into my head, only belatedly realizing I probably would not be coming across many limousines about these parts.

Paranoid habit, I guess.

I dismissed the blade and rounded the corner as the limo drove off, Tohno-san watching it go with a scowl. When it turned beyond sight, she glanced over her shoulder at me. "Sorry, we were right in the way, huh?"

"It is your house," I said, shrugging. "Is everything okay? I don't want to pry, but they looked…well, kind of mean."

Tohno-san gave a very unladylike snort. "I suppose they do. No, it is nothing to be overly concerned about. They are distant relatives, I suppose you could say."

"No, I couldn't say it. Tohno-san doesn't look anywhere as mean."

Another snort, though now accompanied by a smirk. "Flatterer."

"Relatives carrying swords around, though. Kinda scary."

"It's justified," she said, but didn't elaborate further. "Come on inside." She motioned to the car driver, giving a little wave of dismissal. The driver inside gave a quick wave back, then started it up and took off down the road.

Strange, since I swore they had a garage here. "Kohaku isn't the one driving you to and from school?"

Tohno-san gave me a grin, this time with teeth as we made our way back to the mansion interior. "Can you imagine her behind the wheel of a vehicle?"

Well…now that she says it, yeah, I can imagine that might be dangerous.

Like Fuji-nee on a scooter.

"I hire a driver from town—Hisui!" Tohno-san honed in on the maid immediately upon entering the mansion as Hisui held the door open for us. "Did you know about this?" She motioned back the way we had come; I suppose Hisui would have been watching from the door.

"Yes. We received letters regarding it some time ago," Hisui said.

"Some time…" Tohno-san bit her lip. "And you felt this had nothing to do with me?"

"We did not want to worry you, Akiha-sama."

Tohno-san huffed and glanced over to me. I could not help but wilt a little under her stare and be reminded of Tohsaka. "Tell me, Emiya-san: if one of the two live-in maids you relied upon were suddenly being taken away by another branch of the family without your knowledge, would you feel it had nothing to do with you?"

I blinked. "Taken away?"

"Those people outside were here to pick up Hisui. They thought she was moving in with them!"

Something about all of the work we had done yesterday clicked in my head, and the realization must have shown on my face: Tohno-san looked somewhat relieved since it was evident she was about to get support, while Hisui blushed faintly and looked down at her feet. "So you had work to get done yesterday because you thought you were leaving today?"

Hisui kept her eyes on the floor.

"What's happening now?" I asked.

Tohno-san shook her head. "I told them the situation had changed and I still needed her until school let out." She paused, then frowned. "Of course, I am done with school _tomorrow_."

Wow, that _really_ reminded me of Tohsaka. Thinking fast on one's feet to come up with a plausible excuse, and then completely bungling it when the excuse is self-defeating. "Nothing you can do?"

"They were very insistent," Tohno-san said.

I looked to Hisui, who was still avoiding eye contact with us. "And you were going to just pick up and leave without a fuss?" I asked.

"It is my duty," Hisui said.

Those words…really make me mad.

Tohno-san leaned to one side and I followed her gaze to a suitcase off to one side. "Then you can do your duty now and go take your stuff back up for now," Tohno-san said.

Hisui bowed, still looking away, and went to cart her things back to her room. When she was out of sight, I said, "It seems I helped her try and get away cleaner and quieter. I must apologize."

"No, do not worry," Tohno-san said. "I thought something of this sort might crop up. Just…unexpected as to how it came about."

I looked at her. "You thought a branch of your family would randomly show up and ask for Hisui one day?"

She nodded, though I could see her eyes moving, as if gazing right through the wall toward the street. "Not exactly that per se; however, that something strange would happen."

"Not sure I understand."

"Yeah, I am not sure I do either." Tohno-san turned to regard me. "I hate to ask this, but you seem to have built up a bit of a friendship with Hisui."

I smiled. "Guess you could say that. Though it's mostly I talk, she listens."

"Good enough."

"You want me to ask her to stay?"

Tohno-san shook her head. "No. I just…" she paused and carefully thought out her words. "You have been on a trip for a while, no?"

"Yeah."

"Then you probably understand better than anyone else here, the prospect of leaving. Hisui gives a very brave face, but she has not actually stepped out of the grounds of this mansion for many years."

I frowned. That was news to me.

"She probably feels prepared, but…you might try and ready her. See if she will take advice or the like." A small expression creased Tohno-san's lips, a strange mix of melancholy and hopefulness. "I would like to support her and her sister making these unilateral decisions, but they have nobody but each other to rely on."

"I see." And I really did, now, at least insofar as to Tohno-san's feelings. Master and servant they may be, it seemed she really cared for the maids like family.

That…was something I understood.

"I'll do what I can," I promised.

* * *

><p>Healing Hands: Long Journeys, End<p>

* * *

><p>Japanese sword measurement goes by <em>shaku<em> and _sun_. 2 shaku 2 sun is about 66-67 centimeters or a bit over 2 feet.

Japanese schools end in March and begin in April. Akiha would have already had her graduation ceremony and is on her last days of class.


	6. HH Chapter 4: Short Stays

AN: Arrrg rewatching UBW movie has me itching to write Shirou x Rin fluff. MUST CONCENTRATE.

Actually, I'm pretty happy with how well I've been able to concentrate on this all. Usually I think up more ideas than I can produce narrative and my head becomes a jumble. If you check out the last post I did on_ Escaping Fate_ on BL, you might see that I do more worldbuilding than ever actually comes out in the story (just don't necro the thread…). Same here, as I'll probably not even touch a lot of what I have written down, information-wise, about this story.

* * *

><p>FateFar Side: Healing Hands

Chapter 4

Short Stays

* * *

><p>The fact that Hisui didn't seem particularly skilled at deception, though, meant that there was something else going on here and Tohno-san obviously had come to the same conclusion. We made for the kitchen where Kohaku was preparing dinner, the energetic maid humming off-key to herself as she was tossing a salad.<p>

"Kohaku!" Tohno-san bellowed. It was kind of scary, actually.

Kohaku thought so as well, as she jumped in place and the flacon she was seasoning the salad with went flying out of her grip. She juggled the container in hand and tried to keep what looked like olive oil from sloshing out. "Yes, A-Akiha-sama?"

Tohno-san glared, hands on her hips, looking every bit like the oldest sister who has just been had by the younger siblings. "Explain yourself."

"Er, I'm making salad?"

Hmm. Tohsaka looked funny when she was glaring and scary when she smiled. I think I'd have to say that Tohno-san was the opposite, as she actually looked scary when she glared, but her smiles were actually quite pleasant. "You know what I mean," Tohno-san said.

The maid put her hand behind her head in that same over-exaggerated way that you see people on television do when they were nervous or caught doing something wrong. It gave me that same disjointed feeling as before, that I couldn't quite resolve that Kohaku was the one I had met years ago. The person in front of me seemed…

Well…

Like me, a little bit. A fake.

"I don't know what to say," Kohaku said. "When the request came, I thought it was best not to disturb you with it. You've been working so hard on entrance exams for college and whatnot that I didn't want you to concern yourself over us."

It made sense, though I got the feeling there was something going on that wasn't being said. I just couldn't tell if it was Kohaku hiding something, Tohno-san hiding something, or the both of them just being careful in front of an outsider like me.

"I really think you should let me make that decision," Tohno-san said. "At least when it comes to business with the other families."

"Roger!" Kohaku said, giving a salute. She then broke into a nervous smile. "So…does that mean Hisui-chan is staying?"

Something in that…just…

Akiha huffed, crossing her arms. "No…they have everything arranged now. I could only put it off until the day after tomorrow."

I couldn't tell what, exactly, bothered me, but I had this odd sense now that they were both in on something that was being left unsaid. Tohno-san sounded less indignant about Hisui leaving so much as she sounded upset that everything had been kept from her; Kohaku sounded more concerned that her sister would be staying than leaving. It didn't sound quite like what I had built up in my head about the two of them and the pseudo-family they had going here.

Then again, I'm not sure I know what a regular family is like. Fuji-nee's family was about as close as I got to that, and they weren't exactly normal either.

…Families with more sugar intake were closer to normal?

No, wait, Illya was pretty hyper too, and her family was far from normal. Scratch that.

I sighed. "Kohaku, you're not upset that you're being separated from your sister?"

Kohaku's expression sort of melted into a thoughtful one. "Well, of course, but I think it'll be a good experience for her. Did you know that Hisui-chan hasn't left the grounds of the mansion in years?"

"Tohno-san just told me."

"She really needs to, you know, get out and explore a bit. The Touzaki family isn't going to be demanding of her or anything. I think it'll be a good experience. And it isn't like we'll never see each other again."

I sighed again. "And Hisui's feelings on this?"

Kohaku gave me a sympathetic look. "You're really concerned about my sister, aren't you?"

Maybe it was all the assumptions that Hisui would be fine with all of this, that she could shoulder all of the weight of going off on her own like this. It may be extremely minor compared to Saber, but, the similarities just made me bristle. "I don't like seeing people get hurt."

Tohno-san was giving me an appraising look, and Kohaku's expression turned a little melancholy. "Yeah," Kohaku said, "I can tell."

I couldn't make out whether there was supposed to be sarcasm there. "I know it isn't my place here, but, I'd kind of like to hear Hisui's side of it."

"I won't stop you," Kohaku said. "But I know what she's going to say."

I shrugged. I had a feeling I knew what she would say too, but still.

* * *

><p>I knocked on Hisui's door and heard the quiet "Come in" from beyond.<p>

Hisui had not bothered to unpack, her suitcase set to one side. She sat at a vanity, the same neutral expression on her face, but the way that her posture seemed forced, made me think that, through this all, she really was a little forlorn within.

"Is there something you require, Emiya-sama?"

I sighed. Now that I was here, it seemed harder to spit out what I wanted to say. "Um, well, it has to do with this whole moving business—"

"If you do not require anything, I have little else to speak of."

Frowning, I just brought up the first thing to come to mind. "Is it true you haven't left the mansion in years?"

There was a slight twitch of Hisui's cheek and I almost cheered. While the maid had an excellent game face, any sign of a so-called "tell" was enough to show she actually was not nearly as composed beneath it all as she liked to project. "Yes, that is true."

Forget being rude, this was pretty intrusive. But I just had to know. "Why?"

Hisui was a little red in the face, and she looked away. "I do not like people."

Wait, what? "You seem to get along with everyone fine."

The maid was outright fidgeting now, her fingers twiddling in her lap. "I do not like people other than nee-san and Akiha-sama and Shiki-sama."

I grinned. "Mm, I admit, I'm a pretty strange person to like."

"I mean…" Hisui swayed in place, though she kept her gaze away from me. She seemed to think better than to dig any further hole, though. "That is different."

Not that I was actually insulted. "Then why are you okay with moving in with a family you don't even know? And honestly," I couldn't help but hear a little frustration in my voice, "don't give the 'duty' excuse. We both know you're not a robot."

Some of the tension in her shoulders seemed to give, and I knew I had achieved a victory. "I must get over it somehow, correct?"

"Somehow, I don't think you're actually going for that reason."

"There is plenty you do not know, Emiya-sama," Hisui said, turning to look me in the eyes. "And that is why I do not like people. Everyone hides something."

Again, I felt like there was more to it than she was letting on, though this was much deeper and closer to what was actually going through her head than anything I'd caught wind of before.

"Yeah, everyone has a hidden side, Hisui." I shrugged. "But you can't jump at shadows waiting for it to show, or else you'll never move forward, even if you do put yourself out of your comfort zone." I gave her a grin. "Besides, not everyone's hidden side is all that bad. My friend Tohsaka's hidden side is that she's actually stingy and a bully beneath the princess-like exterior she gives…hmm, maybe a bad example."

Sometimes I have this odd feeling like Tohsaka has a magical bug somewhere on me and anything I say can and will be used against me. Best not to call that down onto myself.

"You are not going to scare me into not going," Hisui said.

"Not my intention, honest." I shrugged. "I just don't want anyone jumping into a situation that may prove to be needlessly troubling or painful."

I grinned. I'm such a hypocrite.

_I have no regrets, this is the only path._

Shaking off that thought, I asked, "So, what will you do there? I mean, do they expect different things of you than here?"

Hisui looked down at that, fidgeting a little with her hands again. "I am not sure. The Touzaki family specializes in swordsmithing, and so I would expect that cleaning up after their work would be required."

Swordsmithing. My mind rewound to the bodyguard that had been with the car outside the main gate and considered that. It made sense that such a bodyguard then would carry around a sword; even some of Raiga's people carried knockoffs for the sake of the standard yakuza appearance.

Although swords made of bones…

Well, I really don't have the right to criticize.

"I suppose that would require help in the cleaning department," I said, thinking it through. "Smiths get hot and sparks go flying everywhere even if you are careful, and I'd imagine forge chimneys and the water basin need to be cleaned pretty regularly."

Hisui tilted her head. "You appear to be very knowledgeable about forges."

I laughed. "Not really. Well…maybe." Wow, trying to explain might be difficult.

Actually…

Everyone has a hidden side…

"Here, maybe this will help," I said. "I mean, I'm not them, but, well, if you're going to acquaint yourself with hidden sides that aren't, uh, negative. This is my hidden side, and while I wouldn't call it normal, it certainly is pretty boring once you get past the oddity of it."

Kiritsugu did say that magic really should not be concealed. Mine was pretty useless anyway, even if it was abnormal. It's not like I could get away with much using it.

I held out my hands and closed my eyes.

"_Trace, on_."

Maybe it was the easy comparison between them, but the first sword to come to mind was one of Saber's. Caliburn formed, the perfect weight of it settling into my hands, and I sighed. I dreamed about it so frequently that it took reminders like this to tell me that yes, in fact, it truly was a part of my reality.

My eyes opened to find Hisui staring at the sword in outright amazement, quite possibly the most different expression I'd seen the maid give since coming here. She looked up and down the length of the blade, and then slowly reached out, as if convinced it would be nothing more than an illusion. "No, it's real," I said.

"What…I do not…"

"My hidden side is that I'm a magus. A pretty terrible one, as I'm only really good at this." I handed her the sword, and she settled it in her lap, unable to decide what to do with it. "I can recreate swords and spears that I've seen. _Full Trace, standby_."

Kanshou and Bakuya were next, just to show that I wasn't somehow tricking her before. She watched as the shapes took form in my hands, was able to see the weight catch in my grip and my arms move to accommodate the newly formed weapons. I again handed her one, Kanshou, to show they were real, and this time she took the blade by the grip.

"Why are you—ah?" Hisui gave a startled gasp as the weapon drew back toward me, clicking back against Bakuya.

"Er, sorry, these ones are…magnetized."

Hisui stared at the weapons, looking them over carefully, then back up to me. "Why are you telling me this?"

I shrugged. "Now you know the side of me that only one other person in the world knows. Not that terrifying, is it? I mean, strange, yeah, but that's it. I make swords. Besides the magic part, it isn't all that different than if I were secretly hammering away metal in my backyard, right?"

Actually, I was surprised she hadn't brought up the whole magic thing to begin with. But then again, Hisui did strike me as the type of person that accepted what she saw with her own eyes. Maybe tomorrow I would point out that her huge stake wouldn't actually be helpful against real vampires.

Her eyes narrowed. "This would be your way of trying to convince me to not go?"

I barked out a laugh at that. "Hisui, I don't really mind whether you go or not—that isn't my place, and I'm not a member of this family or anything. But I do want you to go for the right reasons, and if you do go, to not be afraid of what you may find when you get there."

"You sound like you have done such a thing yourself."

"I guess you could say that." I thought back to the old man, thought of his words when he told me what he was. "My father, Kiritsugu, was a magus. He told me out of the blue one day. And I had decided long before that to emulate him in every way possible. I jumped at the prospect of being one too, and did everything I could to make that my reality." I gave Hisui a grin and a roll of the eyes. "It was difficult, and I have very little to show for it. And what it has brought me is…well, maybe I'll tell you about that some other time. It wasn't all positive, I can say that much."

Hisui stared at me, eyebrows furrowed, and I was once again struck by how much tiny little changes in her expression gave away. It was…well, cute, now that I thought about it.

"But I'm not afraid of what comes, and I don't regret making that decision, scary as it was. I just want you to do the same. No regrets, and no lying to yourself. Make the choice, and follow through with everything you have."

"You have nightmares."

Ah, yes. I guess she could add that up in her head: that this choice also brought me into a world of real terror. "Then call me an idiot for charging forward like I do. It can be a scary world out there. I just don't see why I shouldn't try and do everything I can to make it better." I smirked. "Even if right now, it's just to make sure you know that it is both more and less scary than you might think."

I probably had said too much, really, so I took the swords back from her and dismissed them, then went for the door to let her mull over the hammer I had just beaten her over the head with. Yeah, I needed to work on my people skills.

Somewhere, Tohsaka was laughing, I just knew it.

"You would trust me with this? What if I told someone about you?" Hisui asked.

I found myself in the doorway, our positions now reversed from times before, and I wondered if that was always going to be my fate: to stand at either ends of every connection I made. "Then you tell them. I can take care of myself." I shrugged. "I should probably leave when you do, anyway, so I don't cause Tohno-san and Kohaku any more trouble than they need. I'm sure they don't need a third wheel like me about."

Yeah…I probably wasn't being of use here, really. And if tomorrow I couldn't find this doctor Kiritsugu went to, I didn't really have an excuse to intrude on their hospitality any further.

Besides, Hisui had reminded me…

There was a world out there, a rather unforgiving one.

And I still had a dream to reach.

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><p>Healing Hands: Short Stays, End<p> 


	7. HH chapter 5: Sick Days

AN: Updating quick because my university will start this week and I've got a lot of stuff to do even besides that, so I'm not sure I'll have another update within the seven day max I usually aim for.

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><p>FateFar Side: Healing Hands

Chapter 5

Sick Days

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><p>I spent the next day again looking around town at various local doctors, though none of them had heard of Kiritsugu Emiya or ever met with a person matching the photo I carried.<p>

The thing about the Japanese health care system was that there were quite a few clinics especially in a smaller city like Misaki. Fortunate for the average person, unfortunate for me.

Still, the town was a nice place and nothing in it had the same eerie feeling as walking into the park at Fuyuki, or even into Tohsaka's house. It was pretty quiet, even within the downtown area, and with students all done with exams and getting to the end of their school year, it had an air of good-natured liveliness.

It struck me then that I didn't know whether Kohaku and Hisui had an education. They looked like they were roughly the same age as Tohno-san, though I guess it could be they are a bit older or younger.

But if Hisui has not left the mansion in _years_…

Just, somewhat odd.

After visiting four clinics and a local acupuncture practitioner, it was getting late, so I decided to head back to the mansion. It only belatedly occurred to me to get a ticket for the train, but I decided that I could just do that tomorrow anyway; it wasn't a busy season for travelers quite yet.

Curiously, Hisui was waiting at the gate, and she bowed as I approached. "My apologies, Emiya-sama."

"What's up?"

"Nee-san is feeling unwell, so she could not go shopping today. I was wondering if…you would show me to the nearest store so I may make dinner."

It took me a moment to process everything that had happened just then.

I noticed the hesitation before the request, and had to wonder if she had planned on saying something else first, like, "if you would go shopping for us" but had changed at the last moment. She was obviously still trying to overcome this lock-in fear she had.

I wondered at the situation. Kohaku could not have gone years without being sick, so I had to question who had done the shopping when that occurred. Tohno-san? Or Tohno-san's brother?

I thought of the shopping I had done before in Kohaku's name, and how reluctant Hisui had been to delegate such a thing to me. To outright request it of me…I wondered if maybe I had bridged some of this distance she tried to put between herself and others.

Ultimately, though, I also had to feel honored that, if this was the first time she had left the mansion grounds in years, that I would be the one to get to accompany her.

"Yeah, that's easy enough," I said. "You have a list?"

"I was going to make decisions based upon what I found at the store," Hisui said.

I nodded, though something about that set off a warning bell in my head. Hisui was normally a very well-thought out person, and the various things she had been doing before leaving had been thoroughly planned and mapped out. I would have expected someone like her to have a list as long as both my arms, really. "Then, let's get going."

* * *

><p>So, two observations.<p>

One, if I was expecting Hisui to give me an attack of expressiveness when we ventured into town for food, I was soundly defeated in that respect.

Two, my danger sense went off with regards to food for a very good reason.

Hisui spent the majority of time in the grocery with the same controlled expression, but choosing the most inane and odd ingredients to a meal I had ever seen anyone assemble. They weren't _bad_, per se, but…strange. Very strange.

I mean, for dessert, she had grabbed a pumpkin and some mint-chocolate chip ice cream. I…don't think those flavors mix together. At all.

On the excuse that I was getting food to take along when I left town, I made sure to get a backup meal plan just in case.

And upon returning to the mansion, well…

I loitered in the kitchen, trying to get Hisui to open up about the experience of wandering around outside, surreptitiously watching what she was doing for the meal. Browning rice in a broth, just fine. Some cuts of beef, also fine. Her processes were also perfectly workable, but…

I grabbed Hisui's hands as she went to cut a grapefruit. The girl flinched slightly from my touch, but I kept firm. "Hisui, where is that going?"

"Ah…" the maid looked a little unnerved, and I realized I probably should not have pushed so far into her personal space. But I refused to let a good grapefruit go to waste if I could help it. "In with the fried rice. I am making pilaf."

Pilaf. Usually made with savory spices or a broth and mixed with things like onion, potatoes, and various meats.

_Grapefruit_. Into a pilaf.

Now, let me qualify this. If you go with sweet rice and fruit, you can make something pretty good, like a plate version of daifuku. And with pilaf, certain hard fruits like apples could actually accentuate the dish pretty well, if you have the right spices. But super-sweet and soft grapefruit pulp is going to give you a mix of tastes, and you need the sweet from the fruit to be clearly separate…

I over-exaggeratedly lifted Hisui's hands away from the cutting board until they were safely clear from harms way. "Hisui, why don't you let me make dinner? I kept saying I would anyway."

Oh.

Oh man.

The pout she gave me might just be the cutest thing I've ever seen.

"I'm truly sorry, Hisui," I said, giving her a pleading look. "Perhaps it would work out fine, but, if it _didn't_…I would never forgive myself for not taking the opportunity to make you all a meal that was great in its stead. _Please_, let me do this for you."

Hisui regained her composed expression, and now it had a bit of a disappointed scowl about it. "If it is absolutely necessary—"

"Yes, I _implore_ of you, let me do this."

"Then I will leave it to you. Please let go."

I carefully let go of her wrists and held out a hand for the knife. "We can save the grapefruit for something else, but if you want something sweet to go with the pilaf, I got some apples if you want to check that bag—"

The knife fumbled slightly in the handover and I tried to catch it before it clattered on the floor and had to be cleaned. Hisui went for it as well, and the hilt of the knife rebounded off of her knuckles and went blade-first into my wrist, cutting a swath before finally dropping flat to the ground.

"Oh, my apologies, I did not—" Hisui stared in horror at my arm.

I calmly picked the knife up and put it at the sink, then turned the faucet on to rinse the blood off my hand. "Don't worry," I said. "I'm a magician, remember?"

"But…um…" Hisui looked truly upset. "Did you not say something about producing bladed weaponry being the only thing you can do?"

I grinned over my shoulder at her. While I've not told anyone that wasn't already a magus about being one myself, I could not expect that it would be so smooth as it had been with Hisui. She not only seemed to accept it, but had even remembered facts about it; anyone else, I bet, would still be single-mindedly on the whole _magic_ aspect that they didn't remember what my magic _did_. "Yeah. Well, it has to do with them indirectly. Hard to explain." I lifted my hand from the rinse and as I started washing the knife, held it out toward Hisui to show the now-unmarked skin. "See, fine now."

Hisui reached up and took my hand, turning it around to look for the wound. "You heal…very fast."

I rinsed the knife and put it back on the cutting board. "I guess you could say that." I glanced to the clock. "Tohno-san said she would be returning about now, right? I'll get this meal prepped and ready to go, so maybe you can go warn her who will be in the kitchen tonight."

Giving a faint sigh—in realization that she had been fully driven out from kitchen duties—Hisui nodded. "It seems I have no choice."

I jumped headlong at that choice of words. "We always have a choice, Hisui." I gave her a smile. "But fate sometimes has other things in store for us. Just roll with the punches and keep at it."

Her eyes almost seemed to cross at me. "Fate is not at work here. You are just being stubborn."

"Yeah," I said aloud, even after she had left the room, "I'm pretty good at that."

* * *

><p>Dinner was a glorious affair.<p>

Well, not really, but Tohno-san seemed to approve, anyway. She had been completely beaten by whatever end-of-school preparations she had been making—she gave no hints but I had a feeling they were something completely mundane and silly that if she admitted to, would embarrass her terribly—and had looked dubious when she poked her head into the kitchen and saw me working. Perhaps, though, her attitude was a little tempered by the fact that I had chased Hisui out of the kitchen, which she seemed to take as a good sign itself at least.

And with each bite of the dinner I had made, she would nod to herself and give a hum of appreciation; by half her plate, she was outright smiling and looking at me with an appraising eye.

"No chance I could hire you as a chef and open a restaurant is there?" she asked.

"I'm not _that_ good," I said. "And at the same time I'd probably be a terror to work under, since I can be a perfectionist when it comes to cooking." I grinned. "Besides, you wouldn't want Kohaku to be jealous that you didn't ask her first, right?"

"I suppose."

When Tohno-san was finished, I said, "If it's alright, I can stay and cook until Kohaku is feeling better. Also, with her so out of it, you should be able to push back Hisui's move date, right?"

"That would be acceptable," Tohno-san said. "If it is not an inconvenience. I do not want to hold you."

"No, like I said, I don't have any definite plans or a job waiting on me or anything. Another day or two isn't going to change anything."

"Then I am in your debt." She glanced toward the kitchen, where we could hear Hisui cleaning up. "Truly."

* * *

><p>I took Kohaku a tray of food as well, if nothing more than to challenge her cooking sensibilities.<p>

The maid was sitting in bed, looking faintly paler than normal, though she brightened upon seeing the food. "So you chased Hisui-chan out, did you?"

"She was trying to make fried rice mix with grapefruit."

Kohaku shuddered. "Please, I'm trying to feel better." She then hurriedly glanced around, as if just realizing she said that aloud. "Oh, don't tell Hisui-chan that I said such a thing!"

"My lips are sealed. Though they might grin a lot."

Pouting, Kohaku took the offered tray and settled it over her lap, then dove in with a quick prayer. She then immediately pouted again. "Wah, I've loooost."

"Well, it perhaps matches the oden from the other day, but I still must figure out something to challenge your egg dish with." I shrugged. "How are you feeling, anyway?"

"Not so great," she admitted. "Don't really know what it is. I'm usually so healthy!" She sighed. "I felt a little better after a nap earlier, but that went away and now I just feel really weak." Admittedly, I could see her hand wavering a tiny bit as she took bites from the dish.

I nodded. "Tohno-san is going to let me stay and cook until you're feeling stronger, and it also gives an excuse to keep Hisui here a little longer."

I watched Kohaku carefully at that, trying to again figure out what all was going on behind those eyes of hers. She seemed to be a lot more complex than one might initially see from the outside, and I think her relationship with her sister was also more than just that of the average older sister. Even twin. "I'm glad you're so concerned."

"I'm concerned about you too, you know. For all it was said as a joke, Tohno-san and I were talking earlier about restaurants and jobs and all, and really, I get the impression your work as a maid isn't really as important to her as she lets on. I bet she would work to get you and Hisui different jobs and set you up on your own if you so desired, really. None of this live-in stuff, or moving Hisui away from you."

I'm not really sure when this became an attempt to convince Kohaku as well that they should not be separating her and Hisui, but I didn't regret the direction it was going. For all her show at being energetic, I think Kohaku was probably the outright more cynical of the two; whenever I thought that, the glimpses of her in my memory seemed to fit a lot more.

Not everything had fit, but, well, I was used to working on a lot less even.

"Shirou-san," Kohaku said, giving me a frank look, "we might as well be adopted by this family, to tell you the truth. Hisui and I are both orphans and we have been raised here alongside Akiha-sama and Shiki-sama since we were very little. As much as we may be servants, we really cannot break ourselves from the connections we have here, no matter how much we may desire it. It is not that easy."

"_I'm glad…you…were my Master, Shirou."_

"No," I said, "no it isn't. But maybe it's still the _best_ thing to do, even if it isn't the easiest."

I'm not sure why I said that. I had a feeling I _shouldn't_ be saying it. The look on Kohaku's face was one of concern now. "Are you…talking from experience?"

I shook my head. "Just ignore me." I made for the door, for escape. "Just…" I couldn't help but say it, "it's your life, Kohaku. Be proud of your service, but follow your heart if it desires to leave something behind."

"Shirou-san…"

"Please, enjoy your meal, and feel better, Kohaku-san," I said, closing the door behind me.

Idiot.

Just…stop.

Don't make me watch this all over again.

Ever again.

* * *

><p>The Tohno grounds were large, large enough to forget that they were even located near a town of any size.<p>

That night, I crept out through the window of my room and went the furthest into the wooded area that I could, away from everything, away from the messy lives that existed in the mansion.

It wasn't really a purification, really, or even a release. But all of these emotions got to me, and sometimes…

I just had to remind myself…

Had to put myself back on that path.

"_Trace, on_."

It was not mine.

Never mine.

Yet…

It was the only thing I could make so perfectly.

It was hers alone, yet something now only I could wield. It was tainted by my hand to even touch it, and yet it would only come to me.

Golden light converged, and I clutched at my collar, at the deep and warm sensation I felt beneath my shirt.

An imitation, yet perfect.

Still, no battle to fight, no enemy to face.

"_EX—_"

Except the feelings I kept within.

"—_CALIBUR_!"

For a brief moment in time, golden light streaked through the skies of Misaki.

* * *

><p>Healing Hands: Sick Days, End<p>

* * *

><p>The Japanese take illness very seriously, and even the slightest of colds can be cause for the average Japanese to check in to a local clinic. Also, there are a greater number of clinics and physicians available to people in smaller locals and rural places than in major cities.<p>

Even beyond Hisui's no-man-may-touch-me issues, the Japanese in general are not a touchy-feely type of society. Even married couples sometimes have trouble physically showing signs of affection toward one another. That's changing, obviously, with the influx of influence from other cultures, but in general they're just a bit more shy than say the average American.

Yes, I'm aware Shirou can't reproduce Excalibur. Plot point. Keep reading.

Bonus points to anyone who can figure out the anime/manga reference I made in Hisui's food choices.


	8. HH Chapter 6: Kind Nights

AN: Food reference in last chapter was to _Honey and Clover,_ which one of the reviewers hilariously linked to someone making a real-life recipe based on it. Anyway, if you're of college age and have not seen or read that series, I highly recommend it (even if the official American sub fumbles hardcore). Youtube 6l3dI35FHbw?t=1m38s for specific moment.

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><p>FateFar Side: Healing Hands

Chapter 6

Kind Nights

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><p>I made sure to get up early the next day in case Kohaku was still feeling sick. Hisui was awake and she accompanied me to check on her sister, and when it became apparent that Kohaku was still not up to getting out of bed, I was left with the task of preparing meals for the day.<p>

I went with a classic, Western-styled breakfast of eggs and hashbrowns to differentiate from the dinner I had made before, and Tohno-san seemed pleased at least. "It is nice, every once in a while, to have simple comfort food."

The sort of pomposity to her words was starting to sound forced to my ears, and I grinned. Stripped of her position, I really wondered what Tohno-san would be like, if she would come across as more down-to-earth than she projected. Made me curious as to what she was like when she was with friends and classmates.

I helped Hisui clean up after us—well, more like, I tried to help clean but Hisui kept deflecting my attempts—and watched the maid carefully. When I had taken food in to Kohaku earlier, the elder sister had said she felt better, just clammy and a little unsteady, which sounded like whatever illness had attacked her was breaking and she was shaking off a broken fever. It meant that, if Kohaku was feeling closer to normal tomorrow, Tohno-san would be left without excuses for keeping Hisui here.

Unfortunately, the maid gave nothing away, still as economic with her actions and words as ever.

"Would you perhaps be inclined to tidy up the courtyard?" Hisui asked after my third attempt at trying to sneak past her to wash the dishes. "Nee-san usually handles that."

Perhaps a revision of thought. Hisui was normally resistant to asking my help or even allowing me to help in the first place. This was rather new, that she would openly suggest something for me to do. However, if it was merely to get me out of her hair in cleaning here, it might make sense. Of course, the general polite tone she took in the suggestion made it seem like it was an honest proposal that she had not actively thought up as being intrusive or out of place to a guest such as myself. On the other hand, I was already preparing meals and might as well be considered interim staff. Though, if I—

Huh.

Did she know that I'd know what she was doing? Am I looking at Tohsaka in disguise?

"Yes, I could do that," I said before my mind contorted into a painful mess. "Anything in particular I need to do?"

"You should check on the garden. Nee-san grows various herbs there."

"Got it."

The courtyard, of course, was sort of a non-job, since the winter months had left it unused and barren. It rather looked like Kohaku had already swept it as well, since no signs of the dirt that seemed to always appear after the snowmelt were apparent.

So, Hisui _was_ delegating me something meaningless to get out of her hair. Hmm.

I checked on the herbs in the garden, though my knowledge of such things was extremely limited. Indeed, some of the plants looked ready to bloom or grow, while others looked dead to my eyes. Ultimately, I would just have to remember which ones looked like that and report back to Kohaku, I suppose.

There were some gardening tools out, though, leftover quite possibly from when Kohaku had been out here before but had turned in after feeling sick. A broom, a trowel, some flower pruning clippers and the like. I gathered them up and wandered the grounds trying to remember where the storage shed was.

Unlike mine, their shed was literally just a small little shack with various gardening tools and a lawn mower. I put the broom to one corner and replaced the tools into empty spaces on a rack.

Still, it was used, not much dust gathering or cobwebs forming, probably a testament to Hisui and Kohaku's work around the place.

"_I ask of you: are you my Master?"_

It made me wonder what, if any, goals they had in their life.

* * *

><p>Tohno-san was in fact meeting with friends that afternoon, and Kohaku was napping, so Hisui and I had a quiet lunch together of simple sandwiches. And while mine was a relatively normal sandwich meat, cheese, tomato, and some onion, Hisui's included an odd jam rather than mayo.<p>

Er…okay.

"Are you ready for your…move?" I really couldn't figure out a way to edge my way into the topic, though I doubt Hisui would take to the subtlety anyway. I did make sure to try and catch her between bites of her food so she had to respond immediately and could not mull it over.

"Of course. I was prepared days ago," Hisui said.

Defeated.

Fine then, another attack. "I mean, mentally. I'm concerned about what you told me the other night."

Hisui fixed me with a sort of stare that I could not help but feel a little defensive under. "You concern yourself too much with other people, Emiya-sama."

"_Saving everyone is a dream only one who has never stained his hands can speak of. Can you, after holding a sword that has taken life, truly say the same thing?"_

It probably came across as terribly rude, but the thoughts swimming through my head just made me feel like I had to attack this issue head-on. "That wasn't an answer to my question, Hisui. Are you ready, I mean really ready, to completely leave your life behind?"

"What is your interest? I do not see how it _should_ concern you. It does not affect you in any fashion," Hisui said, standing, taking her plate.

I couldn't formulate a response with so many things running through my mind. Curiosity. Pity. Confusion at these sisters and their yin-and-yang personalities. Anger at the concept of duty one derived no pleasure from. The fact that Hisui reminded me so of one lost to this world.

Perhaps, my own issues.

The maid took my silence as answer and stormed out of the kitchen to eat in solitude.

* * *

><p>"<em>I make my oath here.<em>

_I am the person who is to become the virtue of the heavens._

_I am the person who is to be covered with the evils of the underworld…"_

* * *

><p>Hisui did not venture out of her room for dinner either, so I must have really ticked her off to get her to the point that she would completely ignore her job. On the other hand, Kohaku felt well enough to come out after lunch and, though clearly not up to full, she did chase me out of the kitchen, dual-wielding kitchen knives in the process.<p>

Scary.

"So I believe you made Hisui-chan upset?" Kohaku asked as she passed out the dinner plates. Apparently, she was going to one-up me going Western by producing a steak dinner.

"Yeah. I guess I shouldn't talk about things I really don't know anything about."

Kohaku tilted her head. "We're the ones that keep involving you into our business. I should really apologize to you for all the inconvenience."

"No, I really am butting in," I said, sighing. "I can't leave things alone when I should. Call it a character flaw."

"Hmm? That sounds ominous," Kohaku said, though she was grinning.

"_This is what happens when you cling to your ideal, Shirou Emiya. You will forever only know suffering if you persist in placing others before you."_

"Yeah," I said. "Well, it is what it is."

For some reason, it was the look Tohno-san gave me that had me feeling a little idiotic.

* * *

><p>I turned in that evening feeling frustrated, sad, and annoyed with myself all at once and unsure of what to settle on.<p>

It was a little like déjà vu, a microcosm of the same sort of problem Saber had left me with, and I desperately wished such a concept could be given form so I could do something to it. Like punch it in the face.

There was a knock at my door. "Come in," I said.

Hisui entered, a set expression of defiance on her face, like she was daring me to challenge her again.

I was more surprised though that she would come to me now, though, and I had considered the possibility that she would just leave without telling me tomorrow. I felt my forehead furrow. "Yes?"

"You said that becoming a magus has brought you negative things. You said you would tell me some other time. It is 'some other time.'"

I stared at her.

Really now?

In hindsight, though, perhaps she would be curious. I said that becoming one has not brought me all good things, yet yesterday I ended up regenerating a wound right in front of her eyes. There was probably some kind of disconnect there that she was having trouble adding up. "Yes, I suppose it is."

Perhaps she was questioning a little about her own decisions, so I had to be thankful of that.

If they proved to do anything, though…

"You spoke of making the world a better place. You said, 'Even if right now, it is just to make sure you know that it is both more and less scary than you might think.' I do not understand how these things are related. Nor why you feel that strangers you hardly know would be worth concerning yourself over, considering your evident power."

Evident power. Hah.

Well…again, if I consider it from her perspective, perhaps I do seem like that. Like I have something that could change my destiny, compared to a maid in the service of others.

Maybe, Hisui, you should understand that what I'm aiming for is infinitely greater and more stupid than anything you could.

"I live on borrowed time," I said. "I have almost died multiple times and have been saved by others each time. I think it is very important that, somehow, I'm able to pass that sort of fortune on to those around me."

"Should you not rejoice in the fact you are alive instead?"

I grinned. "Probably."

_Thus, my life needs no meaning._

"But still," I said, "I feel the way I do. So I try, whenever possible, to help those around me. Even if they are strangers like you and your sister and Tohno-san." I leaned forward, and despite the distance I sat from the door where Hisui stood, she seemed to lean away from my gaze. "If you're not smiling, if you're not benefiting from my presence at all, what purpose would my life have otherwise?"

"And yet you expect me to think of myself when regarding duties," Hisui said, looking down and away.

"I told you I was hypocritical."

I thought to myself how much I wanted to tell her. It wasn't really even the act of telling her that could cause trouble, but what it might do to the way she looked at the world. The worst thing I could do is convince her that darkness was all that existed beyond these walls.

Darkness and light…

Though, maybe, in the end, it really was about trust. To trust her to come to another conclusion.

"The sad truth of the matter is, for people to live, others die," I said, and even saying those words hurt. The truth of them hurt greater than any wound I could take physically, and every time I uttered them, I wanted so desperately to deny them with everything in me. "A balancing of the equation, as it were. Lives saved one place means others die elsewhere. Or are sacrificed, at the very least. I wish, though…that if I was to be sacrificed, others were guaranteed their lives. And I hope to make that true someday."

"Saber died for you," Hisui said.

"Yeah."

That honest, terrible truth.

Hisui moved to sit on the bed opposite from me, looking at me intently, as if sure I would somehow break down. "Tell me about it, please."

"It's a long story." But the look on her face would not be denied. "Then…where to begin. Uh. Yeah. Okay."

And I told her of the young woman, and her sacrifices and death.

So that my life would be saved.

* * *

><p>Healing Hands: Kind Nights, End<p> 


	9. HH Interlude: Soul's Wish

AN: Yes, this is a Hisui route right now, for those that couldn't tell. It's clearer on the Beast's Lair forums where the chapter titles are available before I post them, but Healing Hands is Hisui; Origami Blades is what Akiha's route is titled, Synchronized Body for Kohaku. When I'm done with Healing Hands, I will be moving on to Origami Blades and writing that route out.

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><p>FateFar Side: Healing Hands

Interlude

Soul's Wish

* * *

><p>To Shirou's eyes, the moonlight was veiled.<p>

It was too fast, too sudden, had him sure his heart had skipped a beat and his nerves had jumped right out of his skin and crawled away. The street had been empty before, but now, suddenly, that beast of a man had swept up within his vision, just past where Saber and Archer argued, lifting the stone sword into the air. The great girth of the weapon masked the light, casted a shadow, and Shirou was certain there would be no escape.

Archer went right; Saber left. Somehow, despite the whirlwind of speed the giant Servant came down on them, both made it safely out of the splash zone as the great sword cratered the asphalt where they had just been.

"Saber!"

"Archer!"

They must have, despite the bickering, been planning some level of tactics, as the a gust of wind swirled up in their wake, carrying twin scimitars further into the air than they could have been thrown. Two more cut through the gale from below, and the four blades homed in on Berserker like moths attracted to the light.

And Illya, stepping out from behind a lamppost, the bottom obscured by a promotion for a local clinic, grinned as she watched the weapons skim harmlessly across Berserker's skin. "Try harder, mister no-name Servant."

Even facing their indomitable enemy, Archer turned a grin over his shoulder at the petit Master. "So, it would be alright for me to utterly destroy your Servant?"

No retort could be made as Berserker shot through the gloom, swinging first at Saber, who deflected the sword-swing aside, and then a single bound brought him to Archer, who ducked under a swing and ran full-tilt further up the hill.

Shirou and Rin glanced at each other and then split like their Servants, Shirou moving to the left side of the street and Rin to the right. The four of them now made a rough square about the giant such that he could not move to attack any of them without turning his back on at least one.

All they needed was a critical hit, and even this giant would be brought down.

Berserker seemed to have some sense of that, as he apparently decided on turning his attention on the most dangerous of the four. He charged in after Saber, completely ignoring a telephone pole in his way, which snapped as if sheared by a giant pruning shear as the giant's arm bumped into it.

The creature howled like a werewolf and brought a torrent of swings down on the woman, who barely raised a block overhead, barely rolled beneath a swing meant to decapitate, who barely shunted aside a diagonal cut that would sent her sky-worthy.

And despite the beastly attacks, despite the towering enemy and his lightning-fast strikes, the Servant in blue could not help but turn her eyes further up the hill as her temporary ally intoned words of magic.

"_The blood of a knight will be spilled_."

The red knight smirked, not at his opponent, but at the other knight-Servant. Though he said nothing, there was a gleam to his eyes and an upward tilt of his lips that taunted: _look familiar, Saber? _

A sword, black and tainted, shuddering as if it could cry out in suffering if it but had a throat and a mouth and words to erase what was written upon its blade.

"Take the other one out, Berserker!" Illya's command pierced even the ringing of steel.

Saber tumbled back out of Berserker's range as the crash of another near-miss destroyed the barrier wall separating the street from a gaggle of buildings. She rolled up to her feet, flew down the sidewalk, and almost crashed headlong into Shirou. Grabbing her Master's arm, the woman in blue leapt completely clear of the monstrous Servant as it turned one last swing her way, then reversed direction up the street toward Archer.

The red knight was balancing the sword against a bow, as if the weapon were capable of flight. "_The light of the lake will yet fade_."

Something in the gleam of the weapon, or the fact that Saber had gotten clear, or perhaps the dangerous air that Rin's Servant seemed to take on made Illya revise her command, "No, Berserker, defend!"

The moment the brute raised his arms, Archer dove laterally, placing Berserker on a marginally higher plane atop the hill, Illya to the red Servant's back—

Shirou and Saber in line behind the towering Berserker. He raised the bow and drew back the sword upon the string. "_Imitation dark blade—"_

And Saber, gritting her teeth in understanding, knew she had no other choice, both if they were to survive and the entire neighborhood was to be left standing. She pushed Shirou back and raised her weapon. "_EX—_"

A twisted and black energy formed. "_Arondight_."

Golden light suffused the other side of the street. "_CALIBUR!_"

* * *

><p>Shirou watched the slow rise and fall of Saber's chest as she slept and wrestled with himself.<p>

He hated how that battle had gone.

Or specifically, how little he had mattered.

Of course, there was not anything of substance to truly complain about. The crash of golden and black light on Berserker had crushed the giant, though the energy of both had seemed to somewhat cancel each other out and no raving explosion had decimated the neighborhood. Saber had gone inhumanly still afterward—something now, he understood, was her trying to maintain her front of stoicism even as her prana was going dry—and he could only stand back in amazement.

And then horror, when Berserker's upper chest and head had reappeared from beneath the smoke and sizzle.

The tittering from Illyasviel had sealed their fate; Berserker, she explained, had a stock of eight more lives after that hit. His Noble Phantasm gave him a cat's expectancy plus more, and he had only expended one when fighting Lancer previously, and the dual-strike of Saber and Archer's Phantasms had depleted a mere four more.

And Saber, Illya had said, was now almost depleted.

Shirou had examined Saber closely, seen her grinding her teeth so hard it must have been damaging, and thought of the sword that Archer had just made.

If only—

Archer, though, was already in action. The red knight had jumped atop another power pole and said something new:

"_I am the bone of my sword_."

Shirou sighed.

"Master?" Saber's eyes peeked open.

Shaking his head, he gently pushed down on her shoulder when she moved to sit up. "It's nothing, Saber. Keep your strength up and rest."

Green eyes darted to one corner of the room, and though the lethargy in her expression remained, there was something new there as well, a look of disappointment. "I am sorry to be in such a state…I know it must frustrate you that my inadequacy as—"

"Saber, it isn't anything like that," he said, giving her a smile. "If anyone should complain about inadequacy, it should be you. You're in bed now because I can't do anything for you as a Master."

"No, I—"

"Saber." He fixed her with a stare. "There is nothing wrong with you." He gave a scowl, his face twisting at both thoughts now playing through his head. "That guy, he said it, loathe as I am to agree with him."

_Must be tough, having a Master like him_, the red knight had spoken, even before they had fought Berserker.

"Archer pointed it out," Saber whispered. "I heard him say it after he defeated Berserker."

"Yeah. 'Saving everyone is a naïve dream. There will always be those that will destroy you, just as I could have now. And you were saved only because another was sacrificed.'"

"Do not think that I am a sacrifice," Saber said fiercely. "I do not agree with him on that matter."

Shirou grinned. "Yeah, I had a feeling."

Silence descended, long enough for Shirou to think that Saber had returned to sleeping, her eyes closed and her breath a steady pulse that faintly brushed along the hairs on his arms. But then, her gaze still locked behind her eyelids, she asked, "Why do you feel you must save people?"

"Saber?"

"Please, explain it to me. I want to understand your motivations for participating in the Grail War, even if they are not for the Grail itself."

"You sure you aren't just, agreeing with that guy?" Shirou said, half joking.

"I…" she sighed. "Do not agree with him on most things, Shirou. But his words are concerning, even though they come from a place of wrongness. There is something…unhealthy about your desires."

He did not know how exactly to explain it, how to put it into words. They were, of course, more like a force driving him than a tangible, physical reason. The memories as they leaked into his head, the feeling of that scorching fire, the look on his father's face—

"I want to stop being the one saved," Shirou said, eventually. "I want to save others, with these hands. With this life that others have made up."

"Should you not simply live your life? Live what was gifted to you?"

"Maybe." He chuckled. "Probably."

He thought of his father, of how peaceful Kiritsugu Emiya had passed on from this life, and how possibly, just maybe, he had contributed to that gentle smile—

"But if I can save even just one life, it would make this life worth having lived, worth having been saved. I can't even save one, the way I am now. So maybe it's an impossible dream."

Saber's eyes opened, and they looked very far away and sad. "In my time, it was unavoidable. Perhaps it has changed, but, I do not see it being so. Saving everyone is a dream only one who has never stained his hands can speak of." She looked frustrated by this fact, but clearly, accepted it as fact. "Can you, after holding a sword that has taken life, truly say the same thing?"

Her eyes met his, and for a moment, he thought, just in passing, that perhaps she, too, desired the same thing his father had from him: an answer to that dilemma.

"I may not have taken life," Shirou admitted, "but I am responsible for lives lost. Even if that responsibility is just as fleeting and naïve as the dream to save everyone, I could have helped others when I didn't. I could have tried. I could have failed, but done so without a guilty conscience." He shrugged. "So, why can't I try now, even if it makes me a hypocrite? If the idea is worth pursuing…impossible, crazy as it may be…shouldn't I go after it?"

"And what if you had tried? What if you had tried and had failed?"

He stared at her, the faint tremble to her voice disquieting him. She suddenly sounded more afraid than he thought possible—

And he realized, with a start, that, perhaps, just this once, he could be strong.

"Then I would be proud of trying. If only I had been given the courage to do so, instead of wallowing in fear like I did."

Though he did not know what had happened in her life, he knew it now: that one who sought the utopia as she had should never have the regret necessary to desire the Grail.

For one who tried, but failed—

To one that had not tried, and lived in return—

She had the strength he desired.

* * *

><p>Snow was falling, though it stuck only in the coldest of places; even against the eaves of the Emiya house, it turned to water and dripped down beyond the porch.<p>

Illya stood amidst it, a girl in winter, twirling about even though it was not her first snowfall.

Shirou watched from the porch, Saber sitting next to him, calmly snacking on the Pocky he had brought for everyone. Illya had finished hers, Rin was still absently munching, Saber about two-thirds through. Shirou wondered if it had been a good thing, though, since Archer took every moment Rin was snacking on hers to argue another point of their strategy as a Master-Servant pair.

"So how long do you expect for them to build up Saber's strength? A decade? Are we going to be sitting on this final fight between the two of us for ten more years while that idiot takes his time funneling her energy?"

Munch. "I don't want to win this thing without Saber at full power. You think I want to hear Shirou complain that he was given the short stick?" Bite.

"Short stick? I'll give him the longest sword I have if it'll make him happy. Maybe it'll make him feel more _masculine_."

Snap. "I'd swear you're as obsessed with Shirou as a teenage girl with a crush." Crumble.

"Only answering to all the projecting you're doing onto him. What's with the food, anyway? Disappointed you didn't go with your prana exchange idea and get to bite him instead?"

Crunch. "Stop sounding like a jealous girlfriend, Archer."

Shirou glanced back, ready to admonish the both of them; if Archer really wanted to battle, it was up to Saber whether they were ready. But motion caught his eye back outside, beyond where Illya twirled, and he snapped his head back toward the opposite end of the yard.

And just like that, the war had changed.

Barely anything, mere white amidst the dark sky, and far enough away that it could have just been the snow playing tricks on his eyes. But it was not that, he knew, and before he could fully comprehend it, his feet were moving and he was charging out into the winter air.

"Shirou, don't!" Saber tried to reach out and take hold of him.

He did not listen, though, slipping just beyond her grasp and charging in, his thoughts only on the victim that would come from this. It did not matter that he could not stop it, could not win; he just had to try. Despite all of this going on around him, despite his ineptitude, despite his helplessness, he had to reach for it, had to at least see if he could make any difference whatsoever—

"_Trace, on_!"

The paired scimitars formed in his hand and he placed himself between Illya and what he now saw to be a white mask, ready to deflect any incoming attacks. He could do this, something in him had started to grow, and he knew he could at least imitate Tohsaka's Servant, if not copy him completely.

The demonic figure, his mask staring at him in mockery, removed a shroud from his right arm. The black fabric rippled like a dancing flag, revealing the demonic arm beneath, bent back at what should have been the wrist, wavering as if behind the haze of the summer heat…

"_Zabaniya_—!"

The horrible sound of flesh being torn assaulted his ears, followed by a deep pain within his chest, one he could never recover from.

Blood splattered the frosted grass.

He had moved before Illya to guard her from any attack—

And Saber had placed herself before him, for the same reason.

"Saber!"

The woman collapsed back into his arms, blood splattering her armor and dress above where her heart should be.

Assassin drew another Dark with the left hand, holding onto the bloody red muscle within his right. The white mask hid all traces of amusement, though everything about the Servant screamed otherwise. A Servant down, a Master about to die, and the Grail would be his—

"_Trace, on_."

The voice was not from the boy holding his broken Servant, but from the porch of the house. Both red knight and red magus stood there, the latter staring up at the former in shock, as the Archer-class tossed twin scimitars in a wide arc to Assassin's left.

The white mask tilted marginally, uncomprehending—

Then Assassin leaped straight up as the blades whirled in from behind him, arcing back toward the ones dropped to the feet of the red-haired boy. They clattered on the ground against their opposites, though none paid any attention.

Archer and Assassin staring each other down.

Rin making her way to Shirou.

Illya standing over the two, her expression unreadable.

And Shirou holding the dying Saber, helpless as ever.

* * *

><p>The battle fell away as Saber's body fell.<p>

Shirou dropped Kanshou and Bakuya to catch her, his mind gone blank, his only thoughts to how he knew, without even seeing, that she would die and he could do nothing to stop it.

He realized either she was heavier than he thought in her armor, or his muscles had completely given out, as he half collapsed to his knees beneath her weight, his arms around her waist, and he wanted to say something. But words burned up in his throat until all that was left to reach his mouth was ash, and he choked out nothing but useless air.

She was still moving, somehow, though her heart had been ripped from her chest, though a gaping hole now sat above her breast, though any normal human would have ceased living right then and there.

Her armor dissipated like the snow melting about them, and he held his hand over her wound without thought, knowing intellectually it would be pointless but feeling he had to do something—

"…ya," Saber coughed out, more blood than words. "Illya…"

Illya knelt next to them, her eyes on the hole at Saber's chest, her face betraying nothing more. "Saber?"

Though Shirou did not understand it, Illya did when Saber, her voice no louder than the touch of snow, said, "_Magic_."

"It isn't…" Finally, the look on Illya's face took on desperation, and she seemed tinier and more afraid than she had whenever facing an enemy down. "It'll be incomplete!" she said, her eyes wide.

Somehow, Saber shrugged her shoulders, and Illya crawled in closer. Rin fell in before them, roughly between where Archer and Assassin faced off, her instinct to watch over them—

Saber's head lulled aside, enough that Shirou could lean over her and meet her eyes. Despite everything, the boy felt incapable of crying, and he felt for once like cursing this, cursing how his Saber would die and he would not even shed a tear over it, because he was already so twisted and unnatural to begin with. He wanted to say that to her, wanted to explain that she would be mourned, that she was human, and _here_, and that she had not failed him in any fashion…

And even as he saw tears in her eyes, even as he saw her smile, and even as he felt as if _his_ heart were the one torn out by them—

He had nothing he could do.

* * *

><p><em>My country—<em>

_It is lost to me, forever amidst the sands of time._

_I tried, and I failed._

_I cannot, and no longer should._

_But to you, who has not yet faced that impossibility—_

_I want…_

* * *

><p>A clattering, smaller than the sounds of steel against steel.<p>

A blue charm in the shape of a Japanese sword, the silly thing he had given Illya while shopping one day.

And the heavy body, fading from between his arms, against his chest, her gaze still with him, a faint smile on her bloody lips.

* * *

><p>…<em>I want to save you, Shirou…so one day you will be saved…<em>

* * *

><p>The girl in blue was gone, stained snow the only sign of her prior existence.<p>

Battle still raged, now with a new voice.

"How dare you take something that does not belong to you, you ingrate."

It was faraway, though, and even Rin was standing more at ease.

Shirou belatedly realized he was staring at black boots amidst the faint white and green of the yard. He shuddered, looking up at the Servant before him.

"This is what happens when you cling to your ideal, Shirou Emiya," Archer said. "You will forever only know suffering if you persist in placing others before you."

And yet, despite the pain and anguish, despite the rage and frustration, despite the feeling like he was helpless once more—

He knew, finally, that this red knight was wrong.

Tears finally fell, for the completely wrong reasons.

She had, after all, smiled at the end.

* * *

><p>Healing Hands, Interlude, End<p> 


	10. HH Chapter 7: Symmetrical Moments

AN: WARNING! THIS STORY HAS TEH SEXXORS. Though again, like with _Escaping Fate_, it's mainly to emulate the VN and is only a small part of the story.

Yes, I had the image at the end planned from the get-go. Honest to god, it has nothing to do with impending scenes from the _Fate/Zero_ anime.

Actually, this was super hard to do after _Fate/Zero_ started. I kept thinking of this teamup story between Kiritsugu and Kiri Nanaya that I'm mapping out in my head and not what I needed to get done here.

_Darker Than Black_ shoutout incoming.

* * *

><p>FateFar Side: Healing Hands

Chapter 7

Synchronized Moments

* * *

><p>It felt both a little liberating and a little terrifying explaining such a thing to someone completely unrelated to it. Obviously, I could commiserate with Tohsaka over what had transpired, but telling such a radical thing to someone else felt equal parts exciting and scary. Hisui, for all her personality quirks, seemed completely normal and extremely sheltered; how she would take my story—or even <em>if<em> she would take it at face value—was a mystery to me.

I didn't realize I was staring off even until Hisui put her hand out over mine, the slightest of trembling apparent. I refocused on her and wanted to tell her not to be upset or afraid of anything I had explained, since it was long over now.

"So, she died in your place," Hisui said.

Or I'm an idiot, and she was just being sympathetic, not _afraid_. "Yeah. I guess you could say that's the second time such a thing has happened in my life."

"And…she, um…"

I carefully reached up and pulled the necklace out. "It's silly, but yeah. Sometimes, I'd swear I still hear her voice, guiding me."

Hisui reached up to trace her fingers along the blue enamel of the tiny sword charm. A silly reminder of my fascination with swords even when just goofing off in a shopping arcade and getting Illya a present to cheer her up after Berserker's defeat.

Yes, I tried cheering up a person that wanted at one point to kill everyone around me. And yes, that same present came back around just to save me. Someday, I hoped things I did would no longer boomerang back to me. Besides Kanshou and Bakuya, anyway.

"Do you believe—" Hisui frowned, her lips moving as she tried words out to see if they fit what she was attempting to say. "Do you believe she was without regret, in the end?"

The weight of those words made me understand that this really wasn't about Saber any longer. Hisui was finding something within this all that she might be comparing to her own life, or to her sister and Tohno-san. At least, I hoped that's what she was taking from it. "I think, if you truly believe in your decision, you won't regret the outcome."

Hisui held the keychain out, her thumb brushing along the edges. "This is why you heal so fast?"

I heal because of one thing, was healed because of the other. "I'm just lucky. I'm not really special otherwise. The one who sacrificed herself is."

"No, Emiya-sama. That is where you are wrong." She leaned forward, and, before I could say anything, touched her lips to the charm. "I am…very glad that you are here."

"Hisui?" The…well, _sensual_ way that looked…

"Can I say it?" Hisui whispered. "You are scared that your life will be for nothing." She blushed, but looked askance, disappointed-like. "I am scared of simply setting foot outside."

Finally. She admits that she's scared. Just to reach that far felt like a victory of sorts. "Don't let my weird life be what you measure things by, Hisui. The little things, the little choices, they all still matter."

There was a fierce look that she gave me in return. "Do not let _my_ small life be what you measure things by, Emiya-sama. What you have gone through is more than enough for one person to shoulder."

"Don't sell yourself short."

Hisui sighed. "I…thought for the longest time that I should fight for my sister. She…has been very hurt by this world."

I nodded. By now, it was pretty clear that the way Kohaku acted…well, maybe it wasn't too far from the way I did. Smile in the face of adversity. Don't let them see you hurt. I don't know what happened to make her like this, but, it made sense. It also made some sense as to why Hisui acted as she did, trying to be a strong foundation for her sister to not be concerned by. Moving away from everything you have ever known and not even showing signs of the fear…

"I thought I should keep myself from harm at all costs so what she suffered would be balanced by what I did not. I suppose that is merely egotism on my part."

I watched her carefully, wanted to take in everything she said and did and looked like as she confessed these things. I felt certain this was important, not just for her, but for me to listen.

She moved up closer to me, close enough that I could feel her breath against my skin, and I shivered. "I realize now that I have merely been avoiding what I fear for myself, and I do not wish to do so. What does one do when confronting fear, Emiya-sama?"

"_Then I would be proud of trying. If only I had been given the courage to do so, instead of wallowing in fear like I did."_

I gave her a sad smile. "Remember the good things you are determined to reach. The fear is nothing to that."

She looked sad in return. "Good things. Good things…"

Reaching up, I slowly touched the corner of her lips with a finger and drew upward until she was giving a smile beyond the stoic mask she wore. "For me, things like this. Smiling faces."

Very slowly, she tilted her head, leaning into my touch, and pressed her lips to my finger.

I almost groaned outright. Not good. The proximity to this girl reminded me of how lonely it felt sometimes, her touch reminded me that, in the years since the Grail War, mere human contact has been very foreign to me.

Unable to help it, I pushed Hisui onto her back and leaned over her, hand sliding away to trace over her cheek and ear, almost jumping right down atop her. "Hisui, I…uh…" I heard myself mutter, my body certainly wanting one thing but my brain still attempting to maintain reason.

The girl beneath me blushed further, but reached up to take my wrist in her hand. Yes, okay, too far, too fast, message received—

With greater force than I expected, we tumbled around until my back was to the bed and Hisui leaned over me, that fierce look returning even stronger, though she did not actually look angry. It was more like what I expected when someone was hard at work, facing something frustrating and attacking it with all their might.

Oh. That was it. It reminded me of—

"And what if," Hisui said, straddling my waist and leaning down until her hair was to either side of my face, "what if the good and the bad are wrapped into one, that the fear and the good things are together?"

I gulped. "Um…"

Dammit.

Hisui, your hips…they're just…

She stared down at me intensely, as if she could will me to break.

Expert interrogation technique. "I…try harder?"

"Understood."

Her lips descended to mine, and the moment they touched, I had my arms around her waist in an attempt to crush every inch of her body against mine. I didn't care, this was too much, maybe I was just feeling lonely after explaining what had happened before and maybe Hisui was just too enticing a target—

She pulled away the moment my hands found the clasp at the neck of her uniform, and I blanched. Dammit, Shirou, you're such an idiot…

Why do I hear Tohsaka's voice even when I'm berating myself? "S-sorry, Hisui, I, uh—"

"Turn out the light?" she said.

I blinked up at her.

Her lips met mine again, briefly, and she mewled faintly into my skin. "Just…do not want everything so open."

Wait.

So…

This…really was going to happen?

Even as she was reaching up to pull the uniform off, I was on that. Forget the consequences or even sensible thought—

I had Assassin's Dark copied and thrown into the light socket so fast I might've qualified for the class at that very moment.

Hisui's dress hit the floor and I was out of my shirt in record time, pulling her back to my body as fast as humanly possible. My lips pressed to her neck and she let out a sound that was part shuddering exhale and part gasp—I'm not really sure how one did that at the same time. My eyes flew open when I realized she had no bra, and I hastily trailed my kisses down to her chest, swirling around the buds that I could only faintly see by the dim light from beneath the door. I belatedly realized it must be overcast, since no light came through from the window.

I guess I could Reinforce my eyes to see better, but, well, that wouldn't be fair, right?

Shaking beneath my mouth, Hisui was fumbling for the clasp to my pants, and I only made it more difficult, reaching around to grasp her by the rear and pull her completely flush to me.

"E-Emiya-s-sama, p-pants," she moaned. "Your."

I am _so_ glad my mind wasn't the only one completely backwards right now.

My brain—well, and my body too—refused to listen, and I continued to lick around her body, ignoring everything else but the way she would squeak or moan with a touch or a nip. She shook, then finally managed enough power to push me back, and as my elbows hit the bed she slid off my legs, unbuttoned me, and pulled at the waistband of my pants and underwear in one go.

I felt her tongue dart out and swirl around me, and it took every bit of focus from my mind to resist the urge to grab her by the hair and shove myself into her mouth. I wanted to, I wanted to thrust into her, wanted to come with myself lodged in her throat—

Even though I couldn't see well, I felt her breath on me, felt the way her lips curled upwards faintly even as she had me in her mouth. Her hand moved over me and she looked up and said, "Glad…you feel this way too."

Okay, maybe the lights were a good thing. I'm sure, quite sure, if I had seen her face at that, I'd have just swooned over into unconsciousness.

She descended on me again, her head bobbing, and I fisted my hands against the sheets, trying to hold on for dear life.

So…who was the one with the power here?

I groaned aloud, felt the vibrations reach all the way down to my toes. Hisui's breath hastened at that, an exhale through her nose in amusement or excitement—I couldn't tell which—and she moved faster over me, pulsing her head, her tongue licking my underside—

I came, my feet digging into the bed and my hips trying to push up further into her mouth. She held herself over me, slowly drawing up and down as I did, pulling more out of me until her mouth was full. Shuddering, I realized I might have just screamed.

Hisui licked me until every last drop was clear of my body, swallowing me, then gently moving her hand over me in the same motion as before, and I grit my teeth. She could tell, and I could tell, it would not take much, and she continued to move and flick her tongue against me, I don't know for how long, until I was up again, the pounding of blood the only thing I could feel in my eardrums.

I managed to sit up as she moved over me, though I reached for her first, my lips once again finding her breasts, and she tittered when I gently jabbed her sides with my fingers. Her laughter made me look up, though I could only faintly see her expression, though there was at least a faint smile there.

"Hisui…" I said, wishing my voice didn't sound ready to crack right there.

She leaned into me and I guided myself beneath her, pressing to her warmth, and she moved down.

Then gasped in pain.

I caught hold of her body as she wavered between tension and release, silently cursing myself. Of course, you idiot, she would never have done this, try thinking more than five seconds in front of your own face—

"E-Emiya-sama," she muttered, fearfully.

"Here," I said, pressing my lips to her neck, just below her ear. "Right here."

She nodded, faintly, and I brushed my hands down her back, tried to calm her frazzled nerves with kisses to her cheek. Hisui started moving on her own, and I wanted to stop her, tell her she didn't need to force herself like this.

And remembered our conversation.

Maybe…

I wrapped my arms around her waist, held her as she moved atop me, and let myself relax a little.

No. I would be here, and she could do what she felt she had to.

Hisui's hesitation slowly sank away, and as she would draw up, she would gasp as the sensations changed. I held onto her and onto the feeling, and hoped it would be enough.

* * *

><p>It was morning.<p>

She was gone.

I shot out of bed as if something had bit me, fumbling around as my sleep-addled brain attempting to process this. Hisui's warmth wasn't even present in the bed, nor did I see any sign of her clothing about at all.

Since when have I become such a heavy sleeper, dammit?

Biting my tongue, I groped around for clothing and hastily zipped and buttoned up, then charged out of my room and to Hisui's. I knocked once, then just pressed right in, the tight feeling that I knew what I would find shooting up my spine.

Yeah.

Her suitcase was gone.

"She left about an hour ago."

I turned to find Tohno-san standing behind me—I didn't even hear her approach, the sound of my blood pumping too strong in my ears—her arms folded and hands to either elbow. I wondered if it was cold at this early hour and this large house, but the burning I felt running through my veins sufficed enough heat my way. "Guess I should've seen this coming," I said.

"Guess you should have."

The sincere way she said that gave me pause, and I felt my eyes narrow. "Implying something?"

Tohno-san gave a triumphant little smirk. It wasn't quite Tohsaka's Cheshire-cat expression, but it was enough that I bet her brother and classmates all feared when it appeared. "I don't know what it's like in Fuyuki, but, around these parts, one assumes the man will take responsibility."

I felt all that heat running through my body now center itself on my face. How did she know? Were we that loud? I mean…

Her grin widened. "So, then, it is true."

Wait.

I…damn.

Raising a hand to her mouth in that completely patronizing way of covering laughter, Tohno-san's smirk widened to the point that no amount of covering would keep anyone from knowing what was going on behind there. She snickered in a very unladylike fashion and then flicked her hair behind her shoulders. "Only a hunch. Hisui is…well, she certainly doesn't do things by half-measures, as you can tell. And I saw the way she looks at you."

I'm glad, though, that Tohno-san was clearly that attuned to the stoic maid's slight changes in expression. I'm pretty sure any lesser person would have completely missed the fact that Hisui was even expressive to begin with.

Still, embarrassing. "I…er, yeah. I mean, I guess I'm not one to do things by half-measures either."

Even if it was just a moment of comfort for the both of us…

It's not something I want to end in this way.

"Good enough," Tohno-san said. She motioned for me to follow after her. "Hmm, slightly shorter than nii-san…" She led me into another room, diving right into a closet off to one side. I heard some shuffling and the sound of hangars rattling against each other, then a pair of trousers went flying out and landed on the bed. "Put those on."

I stared. "What?"

"Just do it!" Tohno-san's voice was muffled by the closet, and I started to wonder how deep that thing was.

I complied, moving to the corner of the room so that looking out from the closet would not give her a view of my underwear. Something in her tone suggested that if I tried changing in the other room, I would be yelled at for taking too long.

Just as I finished belting the trousers, Tohno-san came out of the closet holding a hangar with a blazer and button-up on it. The clothing was fancier than anything I owned, though Fuji-nee sometimes threatened to change that—I just always dodged that, since Fuji-nee had an odd taste in clothing. "What's all this?"

"So you don't look like you," Tohno-san said. "You might have noticed earlier, but the Touzaki are full of suited tough guys that are somewhat known to the business world. You looking like this might make them think a rival company, or the like." She paused, considering. "You're the type of person that just blindly runs into a situation and doesn't really think of the consequences, huh?"

Well…more like I ignore the potential of consequences. If I thought everything through, I'd never be able to act, and—

Though, I guess, my rash actions have caused a lot of grief.

_Keep moving._

Yeah.

As I changed, Tohno-san must have caught sight of the jewelry around my neck. She must have found it odd, too, since she gave me a funny look. "A heart-shaped gem and a sword connected by a red ribbon. Don't you find something ironic about that?"

"My life is full of irony and odd symmetry."

"More to add to it, then," she said. "The Touzaki family specializes in sword-crafting. You might consider the possibility of a knife fight if you try and take Hisui back with force."

I nodded. "I'll remember that. Why do they want her, anyway?"

"Honestly? They just want to try and exert power over this part of the family." Shaking her head, Tohno-san handed me the matching boots and motioned for me to follow her once more as I finished donning the blazer. "I think one of the reasons Hisui and Kohaku were quiet about this was for that very reason, and because they both know the Touzaki's won't do anything terrible. They're just being political, something I just have to deal with now."

"You mean, something you're having _me_ deal with," I said, though I grinned.

"Only fitting that I should turn to the son of an outsider like Magus Killer Emiya."

Tohno-san had started down the stairs, and I was glad that I was short of them myself, else I might have just crashed right down every single one. "_What_?"

"I did some digging," Tohno-san said, grinning up at me. "You're not the only special one."

She continued down the staircase, leaving me to stumble down after her. "Are you—I mean, is your family—"

"Magi? No. Perhaps, if you return, you can ask Hisui and Kohaku all about it. I'll give my permission." Ignoring my start-and-stop faltering, the young woman led me back toward one wing of the house. "I don't suppose you know how to drive, Emiya-san?"

"N-no," I admitted, my mind still whirling. "I've driven a moped, but not a car."

Tohno-san nodded. "Then, we're in luck."

Through two sets of doors and pausing only to let me put the boots on—which were a little large, though I'd just fix that later—she showed me into a fairly spacious garage. It looked disused, though clean, and I remembered that Tohno-san had said she hired a driver. The cars here all were nice and the kinds I associated with "rich people," though I had a feeling they had remained here in state for a long while.

Weaving past a BMW convertible—the first one I'd ever actually seen up close—Tohno-san motioned to a sheet-covered motorcycle. "If you take the Chitano road, you should be able to catch up to them."

I guess knowing a bike over a car is even beneficial in this case.

I threw the cover off the bike and stared down at it. Again, like everything else, it seemed to be in well-maintained condition and regularly cleaned, though the bike itself was a little intimidating. Much larger than a moped.

My eyes caught Tohno-san's, and I had a billion and one things to ask and say. But the most important one was thankfully at the forefront of my mind. "Thank you."

"Thank me once you have her," she said, handing me the key.

I nodded. Mounting the vehicle and keying the ignition, I knocked the kick-stop up and revved the engine on.

Tohno-san hit a switch on the wall and the garage door before me slid open.

And, careful not to pop the clutch and look like a complete idiot, I gunned the V-MAX out of the mansion.

* * *

><p><em>Akiha smiled to herself as she made her way back into the mansion proper. It was only a short while, but getting to tease someone like Emiya-san was something she found she enjoyed, as he certainly wore everything on his sleeve. Watching his surprise at her knowledge was enough to tell her that, despite who he had been raised by, Emiya-san himself was a saver, not a killer.<em>

_She was glad, then, that he had come here._

_She made it back to the stairs, then stumbled. The pain of maintaining her normal air, the energy required to put up that front had taken everything from her, and now, the moment she had to do more than shuffle her feet along the floor—_

_Pain shot up her spine as she tried to lift her leg, and even just that momentary jab was enough._

_Doubling over, she coughed into her hand, and saw red smear her skin._

_She fell to her side against the staircase, and between the bars of the railing, she espied Kohaku watching her with a blank expression, a doll's expression._

_Akiha smiled, despite herself, despite the pain, despite the feeling of blood pooling within her._

_She was glad._

_Her nii-san would be kept apart from it all._

_And maybe, Shirou Emiya would be able to look after the sisters when she was gone._

* * *

><p>Healing Hands: Synchronized Moments, End<p> 


	11. HH Chapter 8: Darkening Desires

AN: Yeah, no, with three routes to do, I'm not going to spend a long time on giving a slow(er) buildup for each heroine. The dynamics get boring if all I do is "and they talk" and each story is mapped out to complement the other, so things you read in this one will start to make sense in others. Also, part is the limitation with the first person perspective, as I couldn't adequately explain Hisui's perspective and choices. Which is a failing of the VN too, so, whatever.

And no, the Touzaki are not meant to represent any kind of actual threat. This is a Shirou that has access to a full-blown Noble Phantasm. Again, external threat is not the issue here. If you hadn't noticed, what _is_ the issue has to do with the self-destructiveness within the Tohno house. Even in the Tsukihime VN, SHIKI is a secondary threat to the problems caused by Kohaku and Akiha.

* * *

><p>FateFar Side: Healing Hands

Chapter 8

Darkening Desires

* * *

><p>It took me a few minutes to get used to riding the motorcycle, especially one that had a lot more than a mere 50 cc engine. I also had to shake off the feeling of being followed when I passed a police box. Not having a license…well, I don't think Fuji-nee would appreciate me calling in with the revelation that I'd been put into jail.<p>

When I pulled onto the street that Tohno-san had directed me to, I Reinforced my eyes and scanned the street. There were no limousines or cars that screamed "rich people" to me, so I throttled up and hoped I could make enough time to catch up.

"_I think, if you truly believe in your decision, you won't regret the outcome."_

Idiot, it's like you were telling her to go!

I swerved past a number of cars, a large number of families about, probably out to visit family in the brief interim they had before school started again. Hopefully, when I found Hisui, I could somehow get them off the road…

_Yet these hands will never hold anything._

That…that's where you're wrong.

Swerving past an eighteen-wheeler, I leveled the bike as the road straightened and gave me a clear view for miles. I caught sight of a few expensive cars and two different limousines that could be them, but had to get closer to read license plates or see into windows.

I once gave Fuji-nee a lot of trouble over speeding on her bike…guess I really am a hypocrite.

I gunned it down the road, glancing about to make sure that no police were around to cause further chaos. The cold air really started to prickle at my face and I put it to the back of my head that if I ever did this again, I should make sure to secure a helmet first.

The first limousine only had one passenger, flapping away on a keitai and drinking something probably only the rich deceived themselves into thinking they liked. Two of the cars—both Rolls-Royce—likewise only had a single passenger each. I sped past them, ignoring the glare one of the drivers gave me as I passed him.

The second limousine had two of those rich-people-cars mirroring speed, quite possibly as escorts. When I was close enough, I looked to the license plate—the same one that I had seen in front of the Tohno estate. By the time I was maybe ten or eleven seconds behind them, I could make out figures beyond the tinted windows and could vaguely see one occupant had red hair.

Perfect.

I peered ahead toward the signposts that gave information on checkpoints and ramps off the road. If I could get this timed right, we could get it off this thoroughfare and into a more secluded area.

That took another ten minutes or so until we started approaching a small enough exit that I doubted many people would be getting off with us, a service road that was pretty much equidistant between Misaki and the next city over.

Now, to hope these guys didn't have guns or wouldn't risk them in the open.

I throttled up again and made to pass their little convoy as fast as I could, hoping to catch them off-guard. If they were paranoid and in radio or phone contact, it was possible they had already spotted me, a suit-wearing guy on a motorcycle, and were watching me carefully. If I pulled this off fast enough, it might force them to react more hurriedly and give me room to maneuver.

Miming that I was reaching across to the side of the bike they couldn't see, I brought Excalibur to mind and carefully reproduced every step. On foot, I was fairly comfortable now fighting with the swords I knew of, but doing so one-handed while driving a motorcycle was new. I hoped that, in the sword's history, Saber had engaged in battle from atop a horse—

"_Trace, on_."

Apparently she had, as the sword moved out into a perfect arc, shearing the right-rear wheel like a needle to a balloon. The limo swerved as the driver attempted to regain control, and I saw in the rearview mirror that the escort car behind us was now gunning its engine to close the distance between us.

The limo continued to swerve as the wheel gave out completely and the naked tire rim started dragging along the pavement. I goosed the motorcycle up so I was even with the engine block and raised the sword above my head. The driver, still trying to regain full control, swerved hard to the left as I did so to avoid the attack—and we started drifting out toward the ramp leading off the road.

I also managed to catch it just right, as the car escorting them from ahead was caught already further down the road, unable to merge onto the ramp. The one behind us, though, was following closely, and a glance back told me they were readying weapons of some kind.

The ramp took us on a curve toward a narrow road and one sign said there was some kind of power station out in this direction. Hopefully it meant nobody else would be taking a detour this way.

I sped up ahead of them and they started to slow down in return, while the pursuit car pulled up behind them. They eventually skidded to a stop—that rear wheel must be red hot by now—and doors started opening. I pulled the motorcycle to a halt and kicked out the stand.

The driver of the limo, a passenger, and two guys from the pursuit car disembarked. Two started pulling gun—one from each vehicle—and the other guys pulled those strange bone-swords. I heard the _click_ from gun safety switches being flicked and I hoped that this would work.

"_Trace, on_."

Excalibur in my left hand, Caliburn formed in my right, again using the motorbike to block my magic from view. Once it had formed, I dismounted and readied for these guys to make their move.

They held where they were. I eyed them carefully, the ones with guns in particular, until the reason they waited became apparent—one of the limousine occupants then peeked his head out from behind a door. He was short, balding, liver spots marring his forehead and cheeks. Though they didn't look particularly alike, I could not help but tense up a little at the brief thought, momentarily, that I could have been looking at Zouken Matou. "You have our attention," the man said in a clear voice, despite his age. "What is it you want?"

"The girl." I'm not really sure what possessed me to do so, but maybe I was trying to get into character more. "She's _mine_." Although, the resemblance to Gilgamesh made me feel sick inside.

The old man's eyes widened. "That's it?"

It occurred to me that taking this whole thing that direction might actually play to my advantage. I thought of that damn smirk Tohsaka's Servant had given and tried to mimic it as best as possible. "You think there's anything else I'd want?"

He wasn't even looking at me, and I started to follow his train of thought. "That Tohno brat sent you, right? Wielding swords like it were the Warring States period. You think I don't see her move?"

I tried to broaden my grin as much as possible. "You think I care what some outdated has-beens think of her?" I gave both blades a quick twirl. "Yeah, what you're thinking is right. I'm her new hire. The one that'll make your little knives obsolete. You want power, go get it from someone else. We don't need some tiny branch family living off us like a parasite, waiting for the moment we grow weak."

And I hoped that Tohno-san would be okay with the liberties I was taking.

"You think those fancy Western pig-stickers are anything? Ippei, Ueshi, go show him."

The limousine driver and one of the guys from the pursuit car moved in on me, drawing that short swords I had seen before. Both readied themselves in a Jigen-style stance, the sword held high and over one shoulder with both hands, and then they both charged in toward me, one behind the other. I guess these guys had some real serious training.

Jigen combat always went for a one-hit-kill cut, and I think they meant to completely sunder my blades with one swing each.

Good luck.

I swung upward to meet each, Caliburn smashing into the first guy's strike, Excalibur to the second, both men tumbling to my right and left respectively. Both of their swords had snapped, while neither of mine looked any different.

Somehow, I could just picture Saber, standing there, one hand on her hip, as if to say, _is that it?_

The look on the old man's face—and the looks on the faces of the bodyguards—were in the opposite direction. I suppose it was valid, as their swords were superbly made, and from everything I could tell, would probably have wrought the same kind of damage onto any modern-day weapons. There was a faint magical presence about them, not quite Noble Phantasm level, which made me wonder if they were made out of some kind of bone that had been under an enchantment from magi or taken from a Phantasmal Beast.

Still, nothing compared to weapons of the faeries.

"Yeah, you see it now, huh?" I waved the swords around. "I really don't care about your secrets in sword-forging. I have my own, and they're _better_. So you hand over the girl, you leave Akiha Tohno alone, and we won't have problems. I don't even need to bother with you otherwise." I realized that Gilgamesh really didn't quite talk like this, but that _Shinji_ had. I would have to thank the guy for having such a blueprint to emulate, even if now he was nothing like this.

The Touzaki man looked split between outrage at being so insulted and fearful at what my words entailed. I couldn't blame him; if someone hung over my head like a theoretical Damocles, I'd probably chafe too, even if I was afraid. Still, he motioned back to the guards, who scrambled back his way.

They unloaded a suitcase and dumped it out in the space between me and their vehicles. The old man ducked back into the car, and in his place, Hisui stood, her face about as red as her hair. I motioned for her to come and sit on the bike as I absently mounted the vehicle again. We would have to come back for her luggage another time.

As they piled into the undamaged car, the old man turned to fix me with a stare. "I won't be forgetting this," he said.

"I didn't think you were smart enough to!"

With an absent toss, I flicked Excalibur at the largest tree to the side of the road. The blade embedded itself into the trunk to the guard, and the unnerving crackle of the wood within being torn apart sounded. The tree toppled over and atop the limousine between us, and they hurriedly closed the door to their car and kick into reverse.

When they were out of sight, I sighed, looking to the car-carnage. I'm pretty sure that if she were here, Tohsaka would be screeching into my ear right about now over my disrespect toward potential monetary investments.

* * *

><p>"Why?" Hisui said, looking away when I turned back to her.<p>

I scratched the back of my head. I'd thought of all kinds of things to say to her when I caught up, but now that I was confronted with it, they all escaped me. I could remember them, sure: that I wanted to pursue this thing between us, that I didn't want her to feel like she was replicable, that I thought she was still needed with her family, that she should be given more of an opportunity to actively decide her life than given merely two options. I thought it all, and really, thought none of it at the same time—I wasn't in the position to tell her what I wanted, nor what she should do when I was stealing choice out from beneath her feet myself.

So, I just did what I felt came the most natural and put my arms around her shoulders, and when she looked up to me, pressed my lips to hers.

Softness encircled me, and I grinned into the kiss, and faintly, ever so faintly, I could feel her lips curl slightly as well. I had my answer.

"Because," I said, shrugging.

* * *

><p>We drove back to the mansion, Hisui's arms wrapped around me, her cheek pressed to my back just below my neck. Every once in a while, she would squeeze harder, and I smiled each time.<p>

* * *

><p>Curiously, the garage was still open when I got back, though I thought Tohno-san would have closed it behind me. I shrugged, though, and pulled the bike up into the spot it had been before. "I'll go back to get your things, but for now we should probably go talk to the boss about what just happened."<p>

Hisui looked at me, the same stoic face as before, though even now I was beginning to detect some of the traces of amusement there. "Boss?"

"Yeah, well, with how I had to tell those guys off…"

I trailed off as the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. Something in the back of my head seemed to trigger, that same feeling that true danger could lie around the corner. It wasn't something palpable, though time spent sparring with Saber or even glaring down Tohsaka's Archer I think had rubbed some more acute senses onto me. I glanced around to try and discern if anything was different or stolen.

Hisui picked up on my change in attitude. "What is wrong?"

Had they circled back to the mansion before us, to try and take revenge? I shook my head. Cross that bridge if you came to it. "I don't know, just something."

I went for the door and peeked into the house, though nothing struck me amiss there either—it was still quiet. I didn't see any signs of a break-in, nor scuff marks from running shoes or the like.

Keeping an eye in every direction, I stalked out into the main hall, Hisui two paces behind, when what felt off became apparent.

Akiha Tohno's body on the staircase.

* * *

><p>Healing Hands: Darkening Desires, End<p> 


	12. HH Chapter 9: Radiant Blessings

AN: Ideally, at some point in the future, you can read this with some music out of _Fate/Zero_ playing. And yes, again, I had this planned before the series started airing, and long after direct influence from reading the light novels.

* * *

><p>FateFar Side: Healing Hands

Chapter 9

Radiant Blessings

* * *

><p>A quick glance to Tohno-san told me that she was still alive—her breath was faint, but I could still see the rise and fall of her chest. While Hisui rushed to her side, I glanced about, making sure this wasn't some kind of attack and there weren't intruders still lurking about.<p>

"She is still alive, but her pulse is faint," Hisui said.

At that, Tohno-san's eyes slowly opened, as if she were fighting off medically-induced lethargy. "Hisui?" she whispered.

"Here, Akiha-sama."

"I'm…glad." I could make out Tohno-san's eyes focusing even from a handful of meters away. "Emiya-san?"

"Here," I said. "Did someone attack you, Tohno-san?"

Her head moved faintly side to side, and I went to kneel down opposite of Hisui at that. "It's…nothing," she said, coughing.

Hacking blood into Hisui's face.

That…wasn't right. I looked her over again, but only confirmed my earlier suspicions, that she was uninjured insofar as her external body was concerned. There were no signs of bruising or cuts, no damage to her clothing. Besides the blood Hisui wiped away from Tohno-san's lips, there was no sign she was even hurt.

Hisui seemed to understand though, her eyes narrowing. She gave Tohno-san an even stare, that same interrogative intensity I had seen before. "Nee-san did this, did she not?"

Tohno-san said nothing, but even I could tell that her silence said more than any words could. Even when she shook her head, I wasn't convinced, and Hisui seemed to ignore it.

"Why would Kohaku do anything like this?" I asked. "Revenge for you?" Was she really angry that Tohno-san would allow it to happen? But she had kept it from Tohno-san before…was she angry that Tohno-san hadn't noticed? What was I missing?

Her eyes turning down, Hisui said, "No. It…has nothing to do with me."

"She wouldn't blame Tohno-san for not trying harder to keep you here? For—"

Hisui reached up and pressed her finger to my lips, the corners of her eyes tightening in such a way that looked as if she wanted to cry. "No, Emiya-sama, it is…I will explain latter. Just _please_, do not think wrongly of nee-san. Things are very…complicated."

I nodded. Taking a moment, I Reinforced my hearing—no loud noises about here, anyway—and leaned down to put my ear over Tohno-san's chest. Her heartbeat was irregular and weak, and each breath she took seemed pained. Whatever was going on was causing internal damage, like an acid or the like. "Where is Kohaku anyway?"

Hisui glanced around, but I turned my attention to Tohno-san. Though her eyelids fluttered as she struggled to stay conscious, struggled against the pain she must be feeling, there was a haunted sense with them, like she had seen this all coming and was unable to stop it. I was starting to gather the impression, now that I thought back to the argument she and Kohaku had over Hisui's departure, that this was part of the issue at hand.

She had _known_ Kohaku was going to do something. She had known, and had not done anything to stop the maid.

There were still parts not lining up, and I wondered if they ever would, or if my heart could take it if they ever did.

Hisui said, "I will find her. And make her help."

The look Hisui gave me told me everything, and even in the face of the dire situation I wanted to cheer. The stoic look had melted away, and while her jaw was set and her eyes fierce, it looked nothing like the shield she had put up before. I nodded. "Find your sister. I'll be right here."

With a determined nod, she took out of the foyer past my sight.

Looking down at Tohno-san, I cursed my own hands. If I were a magus of diverse ability, if I had Tohsaka's skills, or even the skills of other magi, this might be a wholly different situation. I could heal myself, but not others.

Though…

Myself.

It wasn't as though _I_ were actually healing myself. Something else did it for me, due to someone else's intervention. An exterior force, one that I merely held. One I did not command, but was blessed by.

It wasn't as though…it was my ability alone…

_Shirou_.

Sometimes, it felt as if I could hear her voice. I could never decide if I was hearing things, if I was making it up, or if really…

Truly…

But, it seemed right, the thought warming me from the inside.

_I want to save you, Shirou, so that one day you will be saved._

I pulled the keychain out and unclipped it from where it hung on the ribbon around my neck. With one last squeeze, I reached for Tohno-san's hand and placed the tiny sword between her fingers. "Tohno-san," I said, closing her hand around the pendant, "I know it hurts, but you have to try something. _Please_, try."

Faintly, she nodded, her eyes going down to her hand. "Warm," she whispered.

"I know." In spite of it all, I smiled. It was warm, warmer than anything I had ever known before. But now…I could only hope, I could find something even warmer than that.

Please, let this work.

I leaned over her, held her clasped hand to her chest, held my hand over hers. "Repeat after me."

She nodded again.

* * *

><p>"<em>Thee first, silver and iron.<em>

_Thee stone of foundation, and the Archduke of Contracts._

_Hear my call in the name of our ancestor, Archmagus Schweinorg._

_Let the descending winds be as a wall._

_Let the gates in the cardinal directions be shut, and from the crown, come forth and follow the forked road to the kingdom._

_Fill, fill, fill, fill, fill._

_Five perfect repetitions. Destroy each sigil when full."_

* * *

><p>Tohno-san coughed, and I wiped the blood she spat from her lips and chin. My Reinforced hearing could hear the murmurs in her heart, the shudder of her breath. They reminded me all too well of holding another in my arms, remembered her breath seeping out of her lips like an emptying bottle.<p>

Or of…

Don't think about it.

This would be cutting it close.

* * *

><p>"<em>I propose:<em>

_Thy body is made of my will, my fate is made of thy sword._

_If thou answers to the call of the Holy Grail, and if thou shall obey this mind and reason, answer!"_

* * *

><p>Her voice grew very faint, though the grip she had on the keychain tightened.<p>

I raised my free hand to my own chest.

* * *

><p>"<em>I make my oath here:<em>

_I am the person who is to become the virtue of the heavens._

_I am the person who is to bear the evils of the underworld._

_Thou, clad in the Divine Trinity and of the Seven Heavens, remove thine self from the rings of restraint._

_Guardian of the balance!"_

* * *

><p><em>It felt as if she were basking in the sun, warm grass beneath her fingertips and toes, a faint breeze tickling her nose. She wanted to laze about there like an animal, wanted to listen to the lulling buzz of a ladybug, sleep a long time, dream even longer.<em>

_Footfalls woke her, and Akiha opened her eyes, slowly, the glare from the light beyond briefly imposing._

_The woman before her was lovely, radiant even—hair as golden as the sun, eyes as green as the grass. The blue dress she wore almost melted into the sky beyond, made her somehow more a part of this place than an occupant._

"_Shirou wishes to save you," the figure said, half question, half statement, a smile on her lips._

_Akiha wanted to speak, but felt that now, for some reason, it would be somehow blasphemous. She wanted to agree, wanted to let this person know, for certain, that the stranger that had brought her here was as kind as the words implied. Instead, she let the figure move over her, put a hand over her eyelids to close them, and listened to the woman as she whispered:_

"_And so, Akiha Tohno, I ask of you: are you my Master?"_

* * *

><p><em>When she woke, Akiha was in her own bed. It did not feel like her lungs were on fire, like her stomach was caving in, like her fingertips and toes had frozen numb. No, instead, it felt closer to that dream, so distant in her mind, something she could only feel within her, no longer something she could explain with words or thought.<em>

_She woke to a weight upon her chest, something hanging from her wrist._

_A weight of gold and blue enamel. A curious blue keychain._

_She wondered what she had done to be blessed by the weight, to have forged the chain._

* * *

><p>I charged back out of the rear entrance to the house, the Reinforcement I had put on my hearing clear that no one besides Tohno-san still stood within the echoes of the building. I glanced around the patio out back, but that too was empty, so I dove into the wooded area further back, trying to filter out the buzzing of animal life there.<p>

It wasn't until I was completely clear of the patio that I could hear it, the sound of rustling clothes and shoes stomping through the grass. I bounded over some bushes and headed in that direction, brought blades to mind just in case.

Past another thicket and clumping of tall bush, a much larger tree spanned my vision, two figures beneath it. Hisui was breathing hard, Kohaku standing out of her reach, holding a knife in her hands—

Holding it in a way that was not threatening to Hisui, but to herself.

Kanshou and Bakuya flared to mind, and I lobbed them before either of the sisters noticed my presence, Kanshou hard to my left and Bakuya close to halfway between the girls. The whirling noise they made as they split the air the only thing that caught Kohaku's attention, and by then it was too late—Bakuya made a hard turn toward its twin and spun right into the knife blade Kohaku held. Just like those Touzaki blades had before Saber's swords, Kohaku's knife snapped and flew out of her hand before the weight of Archer's swords.

And when Kohaku turned her eyes toward me, the haunted look on her face burned itself into my head.

So, Tohno-san, _you_ weren't the one haunted after all. You were merely mirroring what you had seen. Somehow, I think I understand, if only a little.

Though her stare—hard and cold as any doll or figure's blank look could be—seized me with a feeling of absolute sickness and loathing, Hisui charging in and tackling her sister would always be the reckless and awkward image I had of what would someday counter it completely.

The younger twin dove head first into her sister at the sternum, sending them both toppling to the grass. I ran in after them, only now realizing that where Kohaku had stood covered from view the most inane of sights.

That large wooden post-stake that I had helped Hisui with was embedded in the ground just beyond, a hammock anchored between it and the large tree.

Kohaku struggled beneath Hisui's weight, trying to push her sister off with her knees and elbows. I spotted something in Kohaku's other hand, a vial, and when I reached them, I descended onto her arm, holding it flat to the grass and dirt with one hand, then pried the container out of her fingers with the other. Her fingers tried keeping their grip, but when I had purchase, I loosened her thumb just enough to pull the thing right out of both our grips, sending it into the dirt a few feet away.

"_Trace, on_!"

I'm not really sure why, but the first weapon to come to mind was the bone wakizashi that those Touzaki fellows had tried out on me. The short sword tumbled through the air before embedding into the earth, splitting the vial in half and sending its contents into the ground.

I turned back to look down at Kohaku; she stared up at me, stared up at her sister. Those same eyes, somehow both angry and yet devoid of emotion at all met mine, and even though we stood over her, I felt like wilting.

Sometimes, in the darkest of nights, I found myself looking into a mirror, and could almost see something like them.

"Emiya-sama!" Hisui cried, looking up at me with horror. "Akiha-sama—"

"She'll be fine," I said. "I…figured something out."

The shuddering breath that came was not from Hisui, but Kohaku beneath us. With such simple words, the girl seemed to lose all anger, and though her eyes were still like that, still so lost and void, the way her eyebrows tilted, the way the skin rippled at the corners of her eyelids seemed to say something else entirely.

"Why?" Kohaku said, her voice sounding as if it were falling away from us. "What did you do?"

"I…" My voice hitched, and I let up from her arm, and Hisui sat up as well. Kohaku was no longer struggling, anyway. "I guess…I saved her."

Saved her.

_Saved_ her.

Could I…really claim such a thing?

Kohaku's jaw tightened. "I hate you, Shirou Emiya." Though I looked down to meet her eyes, she was now looking over Hisui's shoulder, up toward the hammock. "I hate you, coming here, trying to remind me. Like you could say this was all wrong, like _everything_ was wrong."

Hisui was looking over her shoulder as well, and things were falling more into place. "Hisui…what is this for?" I asked, motioning to the lounging swing.

"Nee-san has been coming here often. I wanted her to have something nice to wait in."

The moan Kohaku let out sounded like an animal dying, like the death-throes of a pet being hit on the road. With a lot more strength than her small body and unleveraged situation should have managed, she pushed her sister off and reversed their positions, pinning Hisui beneath her. I tried reaching for her, but Kohaku pushed me back—

And finally, I saw there, beyond those unchanging eyes, tears.

"_Why_? _Why_ _do you do this_? _Why isn't the world right_? _Why_?" Kohaku raised her hands, as if she would strike down at her sister, but halfway in her muscles lost all their tension. Her hands slapped the earth to either side of Hisui's head, and she shuddered over her sister.

"Because," Hisui whispered, and I thought that I might be the only one that could hear. "Because I love to see you smiling."

* * *

><p>Healing Hands: Radiant Blessings, End<p> 


	13. HH Epilogue: Faraway Reverie

AN: And here we are at the end of Hisui's arc, _Healing Hands_, the most Fate-ish parallel. Next is Akiha's route, _Origami Blades_, which has the most references to Unlimited Blade Works. I'll be pausing briefly for maybe a week or two to get a couple of other little things finished.

I always found it funny that Hisui almost swoons over the make of Nanatsu-Yoru. They make the same joke in the _Carnival Phantasm_ OP with her adoring a sword. So, had to make the joke.

To SilverHyurinmaru: The tree is implied to be the one under which she gave Shiki her ribbon. Hisui sees her go out there frequently and made the hammock to give her something pleasant to use when she's there, just to be nice, mirroring Shirou's "I want the people around me to smile." Kohaku raging is her double-speak: she doesn't actually hate Shirou, she's angry that the world is coming apart to her, that her view of the dark and terrible side of life is being ripped down by Hisui and Shirou's kindness; she likewise tells Shiki this in the game for a kind of similar reason. What people say and what they actually feel and do being opposite and juxtaposed is the main theme of this route.

* * *

><p>FateFar Side: Healing Hands

Epilogue

Faraway Reverie

* * *

><p>Hisui climbed out of the taxi that had brought her back, handed the money to the driver after he had helped her pull her luggage from the trunk. She hefted the bag, then made her way past the gates to the Tohno estate and up to the front door.<p>

Before she could put her things down to knock, the entryway creaked open and her sister stood beyond. Hisui's eyes darted about, trying to decide on what she was supposed to say.

Kohaku's brow furrowed. "Uh…hi? What's with the long face?"

Hisui sighed. It still took getting used to, the change between her stays in Fuyuki and her stays in Misaki. She had to remind herself constantly of the change in atmosphere, of the disparate feelings either evoked. She was still in Fuyuki-mode, so she had to remember to let her guard down.

After all, her sister was not so apt to glomp her upon a greeting like Taiga Fujimura was.

Hisui sighed. "Sorry, nee-san." She still had no clear way to explain herself, however, so she merely followed her sister back into the house. "How has the past month been?"

"Hard, to tell you the truth. Akiha-sama has been absolutely furious for about a week; she just received a letter from Shiki-sama."

"Oh?"

Kohaku gave a nervous smile. "It was along the lines of, 'Something came up, will be stopping off in Russia before coming home.'"

Hisui watched her sister carefully, saw the faint tug at the corners of her lips and the way her eyes fell faintly at Shiki's name. In the two years since her breakdown, they had found a kind of even level—Hisui tried harder to speak her mind, to do what she felt, while Kohaku had no longer been the bright bundle of energy she was before. Hisui had decided that she was overall satisfied with the change, though, because the sadness that had crept into Kohaku's actions had actually been much more intense for the first few months.

The older twin had moped about the house, had bowed her head every time Shirou or Akiha looked to her. Shirou had eventually returned home for a little while, forcing Kohaku to take up the cooking again, and something about that had caused the switch in her to slowly turn on. To expedite the process, Akiha had eventually just confronted her about it.

"I knew, alright?" The master of the house had huffed, her hair swaying behind her. "It's not like I couldn't call the police or the like, had I wanted to."

"So…what now?" Kohaku had asked, her voice small and childlike.

Akiha had toyed with the charm hanging from her wrist, a tiny sword the size of her pinky finger. Hisui, upon realizing that Shirou no longer carried it but Akiha did, smiled to herself with every touch Akiha had given the device. "Well, obviously, you're fired."

Hisui wished to every power-that-was, she had a camera for that moment, for the look on her sister's face.

"By which I mean, when Emiya-san returns, you've got two weeks. But you see, on the other hand, we have been talking about opening a restaurant…"

And so, two new maids had started working around the Tohno household. Kohaku and Hisui technically rented their rooms, though Akiha had shoved all of the technical paperwork on them. She had said, "Just make sure you're up on rent," while shoving all of the landlord responsibilities back onto Kohaku. And then the Tohno family opened a restaurant across town, and Shirou and Kohaku had dueled it out in the kitchen for the first month of its opening.

Hisui dragged her luggage into her room, a room now adorned with all manner of antiques. With her sister diving into work to try and remove her mind from darker thoughts, Hisui had turned to collecting such things for a variety of reasons; she liked the aesthetics, she always had a fondness for generational devices, she liked finding new uses for old things.

Also, it occasionally gave her something to surprise him with.

Pulling out a wrapped length from her suitcase, she moved to one empty mounting on the wall and untied her package. The cloth slipped between her fingers and the late Edo-period sword sipped up into the hooks. She had spent a good long while in pursuit of the private collector who had this, had spent nearly an equal amount of time bargaining a price to take it from him.

And now she had it.

"That reminds me," Kohaku said from the doorway, watching as Hisui double-checked the security of the mounting, "you have mail too. It just came in yesterday. I'll go get it."

Hisui allowed herself a pleased sigh. The hundred-and-fifty year age of the weapon would certainly defeat anything Shirou could have sent her from Afghanistan or wherever it was he had charged off to recently.

After helping with the restaurant idea for the first month, the magus had returned home for a while to visit with his family, bringing Hisui along on the trip. "I know guys make you extra nervous," he had told her, "so really, you should be okay for a visit. Fuji-nee and Tohsaka are both women, and…" he rolled his eyes, "I doubt Issei could make you nervous."

She had met his hyperactive guardian Taiga Fujimura, his it's-complicated Rin Tohsaka, his friends and former classmates Issei Ryuudou and Ayako Mitsuzuri.

The people he had mentioned before but that weren't present, she had remembered to give thanks to, even if they weren't there to hear it.

Hisui now regularly traveled between the two cities, helping to look after the Emiya household—though Rin demanded she would handle cooking duties—then returning to the Tohno estate for time with her—

She hesitated to call it _family_, but she had no other word to compare.

Shirou would wander, having convinced Taiga that an apparent investment in the Tohno restaurant had given him financial security. In truth, Akiha funneled him money—again, though, actually having Kohaku do it—so that records put him "on her payroll" and the Touzaki family would have something to sweat over if they looked into the Tohno records.

And while some of this money apparently went to Rin as a private joke between them, and some went to the maintaining of the Emiya land, he used the rest to fund trips to various countries for weeks at a time.

Looking for trouble.

Looking for people that he could make smile.

"Here it is," Kohaku said, returning with a padded envelope in hand. "That boy sure knows his timetables, even when he's probably in some forsaken places."

"He is very punctual," Hisui said.

She tore open the envelope, and a small box fell into her hands as she shook the contents out. The box was wrapped in a bow like a birthday gift, a note hanging from the ribbon holding the thing together.

"What does it say?" Kohaku asked.

Hisui flipped the note open. It was short; Shirou had never been the most verbose of people.

_Almost finished, be back soon. Took this from a warlord in Sierra Leone. I'll ask properly when I get back._

Hisui pulled the ribbon tie from the box, flicked the package open with her fingertips. Within, a tiny ring. The band looked wrought of steel instead of gold, though it was adorned with a single tiny diamond, cut haphazardly but not without its beauty.

Around it, tied in a loop, was a small piece of paper with a single scribble on it.

_Smile_.

And she did.

* * *

><p>Healing Hands, Fin<p> 


	14. OB Chapter 1: Green Ambrosia

AN: And you have now entered the Akiha route. Tsundere pettanko with brother complexes ahead. To be forewarned is to be forearmed.

I apologize if this feels at all weaker than the other chapters, but I'm recovering from a cold and thus extremely prone to distraction right now.

* * *

><p>FateFar Side: Origami Blades

Chapter 1

Green Ambrosia

* * *

><p>It really was rude of me last night to shack up in some stranger's house and not even bother to say hi. I ought to get up and actually make myself presentable.<p>

The bedroom had a bath nearby, and poking my head out found the house just as quiet as I could have imagined such a large place and such a small complement. Kohaku mentioned that besides the brother and sister Tohno family members, she and her sister Hisui were the only ones that lived here, making a grand total of four people to a house that could comfortably accommodate five times that. It would not exactly surprise me if this entire wing I was staying in was empty.

I took to the washroom across the way and, though I was not used to it, took a quick shower for the morning. It occurred to me the last time I had properly bathed had been before the train ride, which was full of the kind of things one does not usually want to transmit to others…

I changed into the somewhat cleaner-cut clothing I had—white shirt, not-raggy jeans—and shaved, then went to try and find Kohaku. Since she was the cook of the house, I assumed Kohaku would already be up and preparing breakfast for the family head, even if said family was not going to be up early due to a late night.

The Tohno mansion's kitchen was indeed active when I snuck in, Kohaku humming something as she cracked some eggs open over a skillet. I knocked lightly on the door frame and the maid glanced over her shoulder at me. "Ah, already awake are we? You should take the time to relax, Shirou-san."

"I sort of realized I zonked out so fast last night that I didn't have a chance to even say hi to the lady of the house," I said, scratching the back of my head. "Pretty rude of me. Thought I should get up to make sure and remedy that."

"I see, I see," Kohaku nodded, then split another egg and started working it into the pan. "Well, you could certainly help me with that. I should be going to check up on Akiha-sama in about five minutes, but I need to watch these cook. Could I bother you to do so instead?" She went on to describe how to reach the room from here.

I went to nod, then paused and felt my eyes narrow. "This wouldn't be an attempt to boot me out of your kitchen, would it?"

"I would _never_ do such a thing." Kohaku grinned.

"Then it's an attempt to skive off more work."

"Bingo."

I gave her a mock glare. "I'm certain there are ulterior motives here that you still aren't telling me. Like you don't want a secret recipe to fall into my hands."

Instead of answering, she turned back to her food and started whistling, that cliché sort of whistling one did when they're _obviously_ hiding something and _obviously_ you're not supposed to know that they're doing so.

"Okay. You win this round. But you will fork over your secrets for my own devilish plans," I said, wishing I had a mustache to twirl for effect.

The whistling continued even after I was clear of the kitchen. I think it turned into a theme song for a show at some point, judging by the constant change in tone.

Akiha Tohno's room was, as I expected, in a completely separate wing from mine in an area that looked a little more lived in. Even as clean as the entire place was kept, it was pretty clear that the floors in this wing were worn down a little more.

I knocked on the door and heard a muffled "Come in," so I didn't really think twice about it—

The naked backside of a young woman.

There was a shriek—I'm not sure whether it was from me or her—and I ducked back into the hallway as fast as humanly possible. "W-wh-who—" came the confused stuttering from inside.

"Kohaku sent me!" I blurted. My own words suddenly let click why the maid seemed so intent on getting me away, not only to keep me out of her kitchen, but to embarrass both her employer and myself. Such flawless skin—I mean, plan, _plan_!

The sound of clothing rustling and the padding of bare feet about the room momentarily, and then the person within cleared their throat. "I…you can enter, now."

Enter? Enter what? What was that supposed to—

Oh. Duh. "Sorry for the intrusion!" I yelped, peeking carefully around the doorframe and back into the room.

The girl stood fully clothed now, a long and flowy red skirt replacing the bare skin—don't think about it!—from before. Her blouse was almost school uniform-like in cut, giving her a very pre-professional look. She was slipping a headband on when I looked in. "I thought you were Kohaku," she said, a little red in the face.

"I should've said who it was," I admitted. "It's still early; I'll, uh, I'll blame it on that."

Awkward silence settled in, and I thought briefly of when something like this had happened with Saber. Her unflappable demeanor had driven through it, leaving me the only one embarrassed. Here, I think, I was going to have a hard time not feeling guilty every time I looked at Tohno-san.

"I, um," she muttered, "Anyway, Kohaku sent you?"

I nodded furiously. "She was busy making breakfast and said she usually went to wake you around this time."

Tohno-san gave a nod, her arms crossing in front of her chest. "Honestly, what is that girl thinking," she mumbled, though loud enough that I could hear. She seemed to huff to herself, then her voice picked up. "Emiya-san, correct?"

"Yes," I bowed, probably more than once. All to avoid eye contact. "I wanted to thank you and apologize for the intrusion and see if there was anything I could do to make it up for you and this really isn't a good start is it?"

Another huff, followed by a flick of her hair over her shoulder. She glanced once toward the vanity to one side of the room and then came out into the hall. I had to refrain from the urge to back away with my head bowed like some kind of courtier in the presence of royalty. "Just…next time, don't listen to what she tells you to do. Without thinking it through carefully, I mean."

"Right." So, I was wrong before. Kohaku was not working for the government. She was going to be an expert salesperson that convinced me to hand over all my money. Or my secrets. Hmm. I'll have to make sure to always keep at least one recipe in reserve, then.

* * *

><p>Kohaku kept giving us these fox-like grins as she served us breakfast, and though she never brought up a question on what had happened, I think our silence indicated everything she needed to know. Somehow.<p>

Her sister, Hisui, stood off to the side in silence, and I was struck by the difference in appearance they had despite the fact that they were twins. Of course, that may have to do more with the vast difference between Kohaku's smirk and Hisui's flat expression. It made me feel doubly self-conscious over everything that was going on, like I had just returned from doing something completely unmentionable to their employer.

"So," Tohno-san said, "what brings you to Misaki, Emiya-san?" It sounded just like any other small-talk, though I had the distinct feeling that she was doing it to get us completely on a different topic. I'm pretty sure that Kohaku wasn't convinced, anyway, because the maid only added a faint giggle to her grin, hidden behind her hand.

"I…well, traveling, mainly," I kept getting distracted by the maid. She really had that _I__ know__ what__ happened_ sort of look down pat. "My, uh, my dad came here once, to talk to a doctor, and I wanted to stop by and maybe see if I could find that doctor again."

"Didn't you say your father died?" Kohaku asked.

I nodded, taking another bite from the omelet. Kohaku really was a good cook, and this further fed this desire that I needed to challenge her skills. Also, to defeat her in light of her joke at my expense. "Yeah. Peacefully, though, and I wanted to thank the doctor for that." I mean, it was somewhat true, now that I could look at it all in hindsight. Kiritsugu was clearly suffering greatly from the curse put on him by the Grail, but whoever this doctor was had alleviated him at least enough that he could function without showing his pain. "I'm sure my old man would've liked to thank him, anyway."

"What was he suffering from?" Tohno-san asked.

Er…damn. I guess I was rambling a bit now, and I didn't have much I could say on the matter. "It…well…" I blushed and felt like sinking into my chair. "It was alternative medicine," I said, which was probably true. "So it was never diagnosed by a regular physician. The old man was into…somewhat old-fashioned stuff."

Tohno-san and Kohaku both had thoughtful looks on their faces at this, though. Tohno-san said, "Do you think it could be Jinan-san?"

"Jinan-san?" I asked. Somehow, that name did seem to ring a bell.

Hisui bowed and left the room when Tohno-san motioned to her. Kohaku, meanwhile, gave me a smile. "An expert in alternative medicine, though he had a license to practice pharmacology as well. It sounds right up his alley, actually, since most people around here are generally preferential toward modern medicine." She shrugged. "There was a time when all you'd read about in the paper was one acupuncture clinic after another going down."

"Huh." Of course, sometimes I was certain half of those places were also shams, with the people running them not _actually_ aware of old medicine practices that worked, bringing in clientele and then randomly jabbing them with needles and prescribing herbs that do nothing but smell. Kind of like how Westerners always associated witches and wizards with pointed hats and broomsticks.

The quiet maid returned with a slip of paper, handing it to me and bowing just as silently. An address was scrawled out on it. "That would be his address, if it is helpful," Tohno-san said.

I nodded. "Very much so." A thought passed through my mind, and with it came a grin to mirror Kohaku's from earlier. "Is there anything I could do to make up for all these favors? Perhaps cook for you? I'm pretty handy in the kitchen." I gave the energetic maid a stare-down.

"Oh-ho-ho, you dare to intrude upon my territory, little grasshopper?" Kohaku said, puffing her chest out and putting her hands to her hips like a television superhero. "There is no way I'll let you get awa—"

"That sounds like a fine idea, Emiya-san," Tohno-san interrupted.

Which deflated Kohaku like poking a balloon with scissors. She turned a betrayed expression upon her employer, who merely responded with crossed arms and a haughty look away from the maid.

"I'll bring my attack tonight, then, after making a trip into town." Though now, I really could care less about seeing this doctor. Potential meals were already flashing through my head. I recalled passing some nice tuna in the grocery, so maybe tataki. I'd have to figure out some nice greens to match that, though…

Tohno-san was grinning, and I was sure it had nothing to do with my promise of food. I would have to change that opinion, though.

* * *

><p>Origami Blades: Green Ambrosia, End<p>

* * *

><p>Typically, the Japanese bathe in the evening, so if anyone was confused by the emphasis on "shower in the morning = uncommon" that's why.<p> 


	15. OB Chapter 2: Golden Jasmine

AN: I have not actually played beyond _Tsukihime_, no _Kagetsu__Tohya_ or _Melty__Blood_, nor read the _Melty__Blood_ manga completely, so I'm actually pretty in the dark on some of the stuff in the greater expanded universe on that side of the Nasuverse. So people like Jinan, who aren't really covered in detail anyway, may be off. This is some years later, though, so some minor differences ought to be acceptable…

* * *

><p>FateFar Side: Origami Blades

Chapter 2

Golden Jasmine

* * *

><p>"So, he didn't make it in the end," Jinan-sensei said, sighing.<p>

I nodded, still looking around. The clinic I had been given directions to was quite old-fashioned; traditional housing that had been converted into a family clinic, Showa Era decorations and furnishings. It did feel like the sort of place you went to get acupuncture therapy or some obscure form of Chinese medicine rather than a standard physical or whatnot. Of course, it made a bit of sense in this case, as it reminded me of Tohsaka's old-fashioned sort of magus tools. The smell of ground herbs, almost parsley-like, really lent a different sense to the location.

Sougen Jinan-sensei was an oddity too, though not due to anything in particular. He gave off a very mainland vibe, but also had a sense of whimsy to him. That felt off, probably because I couldn't exactly picture Kiritsugu and him having a conversation. My old man always had a sense of dourness to his posture, for obvious reasons. Jinan-sensei was a character, which made the reconciliation in my mind between them very disconcerting.

"He was oddly comfortable, though, and I thought you might have something to do with that," I told him sincerely. Having seen firsthand the sort of damage Angra Mainyu caused, it became more and more apparent to me that short of true magic, there really was nothing that could contain such a curse. The fact that Kiritsugu could even find any kind of peace in the absolute pain he must have been feeling was a miracle all unto itself.

"I highly doubt I contributed much," the doctor said, stroking the odd mustache he had. "The magic afflicting him was…beyond any help, truly."

I nodded, though absently. I understood that…far too well.

"And what of you?"

I blinked back from the haze of memory and stared at the man in confusion. "Well, I mean, it was a few years ago, I'm pretty much okay with it."

The sly look the man gave made me feel a little uncomfortable. "I may be getting old, my boy, but these eyes still don't deceive me."

An odd feeling washed over me, not threatening in the kind of way that suggested danger, but something that did make me crawl around in my own skin for a moment. I could tell without even saying how that this Jinan-sensei had not used magecraft or anything of the sort, but he was somehow still able to see through that first layer of my own, well, oddity, I guess.

Perhaps it was the first time I truly comprehended Kiritsugu's life beyond that of the man who saved me and desired to be an ally of justice. I knew from talk Tohsaka had passed along to me that Kiritsugu Emiya was somewhat infamous as a Mage Killer and blasphemer on the topic of magic, but they were always bits of information that were _out__there_, not in here, so to speak. Now, with this man who was certainly more aware of the different layers of this world beyond just the one most people saw, I could start to see my old man from a different perspective.

"I'm fine," I told him, shrugging. "Though, if it'll make you feel better, I'll let you know if any problems come up."

He grinned. "Young man, I can already say, I _know_ problems will come up, the type of person you strike me as."

Well…it's not as if I could deny it.

* * *

><p>I returned to the Tohno estate some hours before dinner should be started so I could acquaint myself with the kitchen and make sure I could put everything back to where it belonged. I made Kohaku accompany me and point out where she stored things and explain her sense of logic to the kitchen, which I had long ago figured out, was different for everybody in small, incremental ways.<p>

"You know, I really should stay out of your way…" Kohaku said after she had explained the order she kept her cookbooks in.

My eyes instantly narrowed. "You still haven't shown where large pots and pans go, and in what order." I crossed my arms. "No way am I going to blindly grope around in this place, make a mess, and then give you the excuse to boot me out because I destroyed your workspace."

Kohaku's shoulders slumped and she pouted like a chastised puppy. "Whyyyyyy must you make up such stories? I would never do such a thiiiiing…"

I continued to stare, kept my arms crossed, even started tapping on my left elbow with my fingers in a Tohsaka-esque manner.

"Tch, unfair. You must have encountered the overdramatic complaining technique before," the maid said, her tone completely giving up on the pout. "You have won this round, my newfound rival, but you shall not conquer this battlefield entirely without upping your game!"

To that, I reached for the bag I had brought with me from town, pulling out a nice vintage wine I had found in one of the smaller shopping arcade stores.

Kohaku took one look at the date, then swooned to the floor faster than I could put the bottle down and catch her. She laid flat on the ground, despite the dirt it might have acquired—though I had seen her sister Hisui quite diligently scrubbing the floors before leaving today, so I kind of doubted much—and looked as if she were a body prepared for a funeral viewing. "N-N-Nuclear Launch Detected," she moaned.

I stared down at her and the odd choice of words coming from her lips. "I don't understand."

"Ehhhhheheh," she went from groaning to giggling, "just that Akiha-sama loves a good alcoholic beverage every once in a while."

"I see." Well, I'm not sure if I would keep that much for such a thing…I was mainly thinking of cooking with it. But it was good to know. "You still need to show me where you keep the pots and pans."

A much put-upon sigh rose from the floor. "Fiiiiine."

* * *

><p>I went with a very Western pork-loin dish this time around, since the architecture of the house was very Western and I figured that the family was used to that kind of food; I wanted to impress them on their home territory, after all. If I was allowed to continue cooking, I'd branch out into other dishes then.<p>

"Maybe I should fire my current cook and hire you instead; you said you were currently jobless," Tohno-san said, smirking, though she was eyeing Kohaku the entire time.

The maid returned the look with a shot-through-the-heart mime and another swoon. She did not, however, get a chance to fall to the floor, since she and her sister Hisui actually sat at the table this time as I acted as server. I wondered if the sisters had ever had food prepared for them in this fashion ever before.

"Truly, this drink is also wonderful," Tohno-san said, finally turning her gaze to me. "You need not have spent so much on our account, though."

I had ended up not using all of the wine, because Kohaku continued to pop her head in to spy on my work and I wound up distracted enough that I didn't make use of all of my preparations. I had a feeling that was the entire purpose. Anyway, the remainder ended up in our glasses, and Tohno-san especially seemed to delight in sipping at hers in between taking dainty bites from her plate.

Hopefully dainty because she ate that way, not because she disliked the food.

"It wasn't that bad," I said, shrugging.

"Still," Tohno-san continued that line of reasoning, "I think it might have been in excess."

I thought about explaining the intricacies of the dish I had made, the requirement that it truly marinade in a seasoned wine an important factor, but brought myself up short. I didn't _really_ need to explain such things to Tohno-san, and the way Kohaku kept watching me like a hawk, I had the suspicion that she would somehow use anything I said about my cooking against me or to further get a lock onto my style of preparation and have ways to counter it.

Hmmm. This girl was quite a danger, wasn't she?

"Well, consider it an omiage? I am intruding upon your hospitality and not only are you caring for me, but you've shown me to Jinan-sensei. It seems like a proper response, no?"

Tohno-san seemed to relent at that, giving me a faint curling of her lips into a smile. "I _suppose_ so." She gave a faint huff, looking down at her plate. "Nobody has ever really thought to do that here…"

She said the last bit in a much quieter voice, and I frowned. Kohaku had mentioned a brother Tohno, though he apparently was traveling Europe, and I wondered at this how much he phoned home or kept in contact. I really hoped I hadn't stepped on a land mine here. "So…no need to worry. I'm glad it was a good choice, at least."

"Yes…a pleasant taste. Your palate is very refined." Tohno-san considered this, then glanced to Hisui. "Do we still have some of that 1914 around?"

The quiet maid gave quite possibly the first sense of expression I had seen from her: her eyebrows shot up into her fringe, then immediately came back down into what could only be described as worry. "Well…yes, Akiha-sama…though—"

"I'll hear nothing of it!" the Tohno family head declared. She glanced my way, and I felt a rising sense of terror creep up from possibly as low as my ankles. "I think we should break that out to even the score!"

Er…

I glanced to Hisui, who, despite the anxiety that clearly bubbled in her expression, bowed and stood from her place at the table to acquiesce. The fact that this stoic figure was giving such an expression only hastened that rising dread, and I glanced to Kohaku for support.

The maid beamed up at me. That sort of expression that you imagine on, say, a very pleased wild predator before it pounced on a helpless meal.

A fox. That's right. Foxes had those expressions.

I gulped. I couldn't handle liquor very well; that's one of the fringe benefits of using it all up in the meal preparation and not as part of the course itself. This would not bode well if I wasn't careful.

Maybe the time had come to test whether Reinforcement worked on my stomach.

* * *

><p>Thankfully, I think it was my own cooking that saved me. The heavy nature of the pork meant that I was operating on a full stomach when the alcohol started coming in. Within two hours, I still only felt marginally tipsy and had managed to mime drinking the last cup given to me since the others were too inebriated to notice.<p>

Of course, my meal hadn't really saved the others. Hisui was out, flat out, within twenty minutes, and Kohaku had taken to energetically stumbling around the room by the turn of the hour, asking philosophical questions like, "Is there such a thing as organic alcohol?" Tohno-san managed longer, sitting in not-quite-quiet dignity for that first hour, though by the second she was more like Fuji-nee after a long bout after hours with coworkers.

By which I mean, absolutely hilarious.

"—So then she's caught 'n the hallway with every'n staring out 't her in the first place!" Tohno-san had put her free hand up as if to give a parade wave, though her drunken mannerisms made it overly exaggerated. This classmate of hers apparently evoked the kind of ire from her that rich people did from Tohsaka.

"I see," I had said, agreeing, still contemplating how to wrest the latest bottle Tohno-san had taken out of her other hand. The once I had tried earlier, it had been like it was affixed there with superglue.

So, by hour two she was pretty much a revolving door, rotating between fits of giggles and loud exclamations every minute. I managed to finally tear the drink in her hand away, though its contents were at that point two-thirds gone. Also, she certainly had quite the grip.

"Eheheheheh," Kohaku half-snorted, half-giggled from behind me. "You wiiiiiin."

I wasn't really sure what she was talking about anymore.

It was still early, not even ten at night, though I couldn't exactly see any of them recovering at this point. I tried figuring the logistics of picking Hisui up from her place on the couch, making it to her room, then getting back and retrieving Tohno-san next, but I was rather afraid another bottle would make it into her hands by that point. Too, I wasn't sure where Hisui's room was. "Kohaku…you wouldn't be able to get your sister to bed, would you?"

"Totally not," Kohaku said from her place on the floor. I'd just left her there from the last time she had stumbled. She claimed the coffee table had attacked her.

"Okay then," I said, turning back to Tohno-san. The girl returned my look with a blushing face and a rather zoned expression. I resisted the urge to pinch her cheeks. "Tohno-san, I should take you to your room."

She frowned. "I will not tolerate jokes about my phy-seek."

What.

Kohaku giggled again from the floor.

"You, quiet," I said. "You, up you go," I turned back to Tohno-san and curled her arm around my shoulders at the same time as curling mine around her waist. "I promise not to make jokes about your body."

"Promise?" she said, pouting.

Whoa. That sort of expression plus those words should be banned in seven prefectures. Actually, it reminded me a bit of Illya, which, huh, I get it. In hindsight, it becomes so apparent that she had weaponized such a thing to make me dance to her tune. "Promise."

"Okay."

She was not quite as resistant in walking then, and I glanced to Kohaku, who had somehow managed it back to her feet. "You, stay there with your hands and feet where I can see them." I know that made no sense since I was going to be leaving sight of them, but the warning was still true.

"Roger!" Kohaku said, planting herself into a seat. "I'll be right here, in this chair, and not move an inch!"

"Don't forget to breathe," I told her.

I half-pulled, half-guided Tohno-san back to her room, though the stairs took us a good ten minutes to traverse. Again, she revolved between giggling fits and making exclamations of how patronizing it was to be held this way.

"Want me to carry you like a newlywed bride instead?" I offered.

"Feh, you wish it could be so easy."

I couldn't help but grin at the rejoinder. Something about it reminded me of home, and I had to remind myself that I actually didn't know these people all that well. They were just…

A little too much of a reminder, I guess.

"Don't look like that, I was joking," Tohno-san said. I glanced to her and she was frowning again. "I dun mean to hurt feelings or anything."

"I know." I grinned. "You must joke like that a lot, though."

"Feh," she again gave an unladylike snort. "Not. Like nii-san could be bothered with this."

Well, I guess the hurt expression I had must have transferred into her voice. I gave her a little shake at that. "I'm sure he's fine. He'll probably have his fill of adventuring and then come back home and settle down."

"Probably forget an omiage while he's at it," she muttered.

I managed to pry her door open and swing us both into her room. Tohno-san stumbled face-first into the bed, then refused to move from that position. "Er, I should go help Kohaku and Hisui too."

She nodded in place, her voice muffled by the comforter. "Goh ahwed."

I felt though, like I had somehow brought her thoughts to darker places, so I should somehow get her spirits back up. Or at least, redirect that energy. So I made it back to the door before saying, "And Tohno-san? I would never make fun of your physique. You are quite a beautiful woman, what with the long, smooth legs and the nice arch of your—"

Laughing, I ducked out of the room when a pillow went flying my way. Then tripped against the frame and crashed to the floor just outside.

Maybe I was a little more tispy than I gave myself credit for.

* * *

><p>I made it back to the living room where we had been drinking and found Kohaku now sprawled out on the floor again, the chair she had been in tipped over directly behind her, indicating how she had ended up in such a position.<p>

"I failed in my task, sir!" Kohaku said before giggling again.

Hisui gave a snort in her sleep, and I sighed.

Just like home.

* * *

><p>Origami Blades: Golden Jasmine, End<p>

* * *

><p>The legal drinking age in Japan is 20. However, it is pretty easy for minors to purchase alcohol due to the fact that the kids of the family are often the grocery shoppers of the family and it becomes habit for places to let the kids purchase the liquor in their parent's name.<p>

_Omiage_ is a form of gift-giving in Japan that one does in a variety of situations, including intruding upon a person's hospitality when you come over to visit. It is somewhat akin to American Southern Hospitality or the like, though perhaps a little more nuanced.


	16. OB Chapter 3: Pink Hibiscus

AN: Originally I wanted this out on Halloween, but events conspired to get me waaaaay too busy. Oh well.

* * *

><p>FateFar Side: Origami Blades

Chapter 3

Pink Hibiscus

* * *

><p><em>It rained death.<em>

_Steel meant to kill, blades meant to take life. They came down at him like rain, and each brought the threat of eternity._

"_You now have two things that belong to me," the golden Servant said. "Even if you begged for mercy now, I would hear nothing but the dying throes of a mongrel."_

_Death._

_It stood before him, guaranteed, this Servant somehow so exponentially stronger than all others. If a normal person could not hope to face a normal Servant, this extraordinary one was beyond anything, any kind of hope._

_Yet…_

"_Understand that sacrifice, and maybe I won't have to worry."_

_The man in red had said that, had spoken it with the first words of sincerity that did not reek of scathing anger and cynicism._

_It didn't matter. This time, any time. Be it the giant Servant who roared like a monster, the shadowy Servant that had nearly taken his heart, this golden Servant with his stores of Phantasms…_

_Every night, lancing the feeling of hot iron into his spine. Or fire raging through Fuyuki._

_Death always stood before him._

_Others continued to save him, keeping that death from ever reaching him._

_Then—_

_If he could ever face it himself, with nothing else in the way—_

* * *

><p>I kept there, in bed, in that odd space between full consciousness and sleep, clearly aware of my surroundings but still prone to wandering thoughts, wandering dreams. My mind kept revolving around that moment, for some reason, a moment of both anger and sadness, pride and regret. The battle had been won, but…<p>

At what cost? For what purpose?

What had I even accomplished in the end?

It wasn't long before I was just staring at the analog clock on the desk opposite the bed, watching the minutes pass by. Minutes turned to hours, and eventually, my body seemed ready to tell me that I would be getting no further rest, that my mind was just either too saturated or too scattered to settle.

The clock read 2:17 AM by the time I pulled myself out of bed. I fumbled around in the dark with my things until I had a clean set of clothing on, then crept out of my room. There was still some kitchen cleanup to do that I'd neglected in lieu of the impromptu party we had, and I think some of the furniture was still out of arrangement from Kohaku's drunken stumbling. Might as well be productive in my insomnia.

I had to admit that the mansion had a bit of a scary Western haunted house-like feeling to it in the middle of the night, partially because it was so large and vacant. It creaked in every conceivable way an old house like this would, and though the others had to be out in their drunken stupor, I was sure each step was somehow loud enough to wake them.

Passing the staircase and the foyer, I made it back to the living room where we had been drinking to find a light in the kitchen still on just beyond the gloom. I considered the possibility of having left it on, but the sound of faint footfalls led me the other direction instead: someone was awake and within.

As carefully as I could, I crept up to the entryway of the kitchen, sure to find Kohaku rummaging about—but instead spotted Tohno-san over the sink, running water spilling from the faucet. She was clutching the edge of the counter in a death grip, and I briefly considered the possibility that she was still recovering from her excess in drink.

Of course, I kind of doubted that, since it was both many hours since then and none of us had consumed hard liquor.

I rapped my knuckles on the doorframe to the kitchen to announce my presence. "Are you okay?" I asked.

Tohno-san still jumped, though, then slowly turned my way as if anxious at what she would see. It reminded me of a kid getting in trouble at school, or one of the times Fuji-nee had been caught stealing some cookies Sakura had baked before they were off the pan. It was overly exaggerated in its slowness, like she thought if she wished hard enough, I wouldn't be there when she fully turned around.

I did my best to look as nonthreatening as possible. I mean, this was her house after all, it's not like she could be guilty of, like, stealing candy from her own stores or something.

She looked faintly flushed, though again, it could not have been from the drinking hours ago. Unless she had been down here to sneak more. I saw no signs of further bottles having been opened, though. "What're you doing up?"

"Couldn't sleep, thought I'd clean up." I peered closer at her eyes, but the weird thing was that instead of dilated, they were tiny as the eye of a needle. "Tohno-san, can I help you get something?" It sounded a little odd, since I was the guest, but…

"J-Just fine," Tohno-san muttered. "I think—"

She had tried to completely turn and face me, then stumbled in the process. I slid up under and caught her before she ended up head-first into the floor. "Okay, let's sit you over here…"

I half carried her into the dining space next to the kitchen, the less formal space up next to a window overlooking the rear porch and gardens. I sat her down carefully, where she immediately wavered in place and gripped the side of the table to steady herself.

Back in the kitchen, I went about pulling out some of the tea Kohaku had mentioned was the favorite about the house, and quickly made up some. By the time I was back out to put the cup in front of her, Tohno-san looked a little more relaxed, her posture less stiff. She took a few deep, even breaths before reaching out and taking a sip.

"Sorry," she said, after taking a moment again. Whether it was savoring the tea or just catching her breath, I wasn't sure. "Thank you."

"Your stomach punishing you for underage drinking?"

The half-glare she managed came quite naturally to her face, so at least she was feeling good enough to not _appear_ sickly. "It is nothing. A…preexisting condition." The way Tohno-san peered over her cup at me, I had the same sensation briefly that I had in meeting Jinan-sensei. There was something left here unsaid that made me feel like crawling out of my own skin.

"Huh." Unlike with Jinan-sensei, though, I had this sneaking suspicion there was also something Tohno-san was covering up for in her statement. I met her stare evenly, trying to run various possibilities through my head while keeping my game face. Maybe she had some kind of chronic illness—that might explain her annoyance at her brother not being present. Though at the same time, she certainly didn't seem from outward appearances to have any signs of such a thing. At least, one usually did not drink so strongly, as far as I knew, if you were sick in such a fashion.

"Emiya-san, I've been meaning to ask, why would your father have been in need of Jinan-sensei's practices? Is Fuyuki a small enough place to not have Chinese medicine practitioners?"

I shrugged. "No, it has some—"

"So then, it has to do specifically with the supernatural? Did Magus-Killer Kiritsugu Emiya get in over his head?"

The sort of stare-off we had going had me vaguely prepared for this kind of revelation, though I understood now that skin-crawling sensation. I couldn't recall the name Tohno from any talk about magus lineage I'd had with Tohsaka, though that wasn't really saying much. I also didn't detect boundary fields or anything around the house that would signify their connection to magecraft. So, then, what was the connection? "Nothing like that. Should I be concerned that you know such a title to my family name?"

Tohno-san relented, her stare softening. She looked away, out the window. "No. I did have to wonder at first if you had some sort of contract out on me for some reason when Kohaku first mentioned your name. Until I met you and saw how harmless you were, at least."

I wasn't sure whether to be insulted or pleased. "What if I'm just trying to lower your guard until I have a perfect time to strike?"

"Then you'd have done so when we were all drunk."

"Fair enough."

There was a certain amount of wincing I could see her holding back on—the bunching of muscles along her collar and throat resembled someone trying to hold down on coughing. Whatever it was that still had her bothered, it clearly was not physically pleasant.

To be honest, in hindsight, it kind of reminded me of the sort of things Kiritsugu did, shortly before his end.

"My old man already had a foot in his grave," I said, shrugging. "I suppose Jinan-sensei was someone that is good at caring for half-dead people."

"I suppose he does," Tohno-san said. "So that's really it? You just wanted to say hi to your father's doctor?"

"You might be able to guess that there was more to it than simple illness, so I thought following up and letting Jinan-sensei know what happened might be appropriate. I know I'd be curious in his shoes, at least." Well, if the man wears shoes. He looked more like the kind of person to wear more traditional geta instead. "I'm the only one that knows what he went through that is still alive, so, it fell on me."

"_Still_ alive, huh?" She looked a little sad at that. "Following in his footsteps?"

"Nah." I wondered how far I should take this, but decided against further evasion. Maybe if I was free with my tongue, she'd tell me how it was she knew about that side of the world. "I'm pretty terrible at magic, and I don't like death, so any attempt at being a Magus-Killer would probably end with me messing it up horribly."

Tohno-san nodded, slowly, again like she was trying to hold back from a cough or some kind of internal pain. "I see."

The wisps of heat from the tea had disappeared from Tohno-san's drink. "I'll get some more hot tea." It seemed to me like her sense of propriety deemed it necessary that she not show her discomfort in front of me. The tea probably helped soothe her neck, so, I could get away with both at the same time.

From the kitchen, indeed, over the sound of pouring more hot water and getting the tea ready, I could hear Tohno-san hack and wheeze while my back was turned. I kept pretending I didn't hear anything until it was absolutely ready, then returned with the new cup and set it down in front of her. The girl had recovered by then, accepting the cup and sipping at it again, slowly, and this time I could tell that she was appreciating the gentle warmth it gave to overtired muscles.

"Anything else I can do?" I asked, settling back down.

I half-expected her to bring up the magic points further, but she seemed truly disinterested in it now that the cat was out of the bag, her gaze returning to the darkness beyond the window. "Not really," she said, sighing.

My eyes following hers out, I could make out the distorted moon off setting on the horizon, the white light paled by the glare from the light beaming in on us from the kitchen. A little bit of warmth flooded me from my necklace, and I absently reached up to brush at it through my shirt.

"You don't have to stay, you know," Tohno-san said. She sounded better, and a quick glance confirmed that she was calmer again, the tea doing its job.

"I know," I said. But, well, I could feel the odd need to be here in the air, that Tohno-san wanted company. I could tell it wasn't my company she wanted, but, that in this light, maybe it would do.

Maybe, a part of me felt the same.

* * *

><p>Origami Blades: Pink Hibiscus, End<p>

* * *

><p>Geta are wooden sandals that are fairly distinctive. Kind of like clog-sandals. If you're familiar with <em>Bleach<em>, Kisuke Urahara wears some that Ichigo nicknames him for.


	17. OB Chapter 4: Violet Hydrangea

Fate/Far Side: Origami Blades

Chapter 4

Violet Hydrangea

* * *

><p>"Shirou Emiya!"<p>

I glanced up from the list I had made to find Sougen Jinan-sensei once more before me, his customary traditional clothing standing out amidst the otherwise modern grocery. He was giving me an appraising look, one that I sometimes got from the people back home: _so__ you__'__re __doing__ chores __for __someone __else,__ again?_ I smiled. "Good day."

"Indeed," he said, briefly stroking that long mustache of his. "Is Kohaku-chan sick? Does Akiha-san have you doing the shopping now?"

I did have to hold back on a snicker. "Nah, Tohno-san and the others have been great to me. I'm just trying to return the favor." Though that was only half-true. While they were generous and accommodating, I was worried about whatever was bothering Tohno-san physically. I had begged her to stay home that day instead of return to school—which she had credit for already and missing one's last days of class, while nostalgic, weren't that important compared to maintaining good health. Actually, running into Jinan-sensei was probably a good thing. "Tohno-san has been feeling a little ill lately, though she would never admit it, and I thought I would try to show my thanks by helping her recover."

"Really now?" The doctor looked a little concerned, his eyes following my hands as I picked out a couple of different soup stocks that I could use as a base for a good meal. "Is she feeling faint?"

I nodded, glancing at him briefly. "That and coughing up a storm. Is it a preexisting condition?" At this rate, I would wage war with Kohaku for at least temporary control of that kitchen if there was something I could do to help.

Jinan-sensei frowned, the peaks of his eyebrows shooting down and giving him a very hawk-like appearance. "The coughing is new. Hmm." He turned his gaze up to the ceiling in thought. "If she has been stumbling around or even fainting, though, that is something she holds in common with her brother."

"I see." So, a family trait perhaps. "If you're a doctor, should you be disclosing this sort of information?"

He shrugged. "Akiha-san is not actually my direct patient, though she has consulted me on occasion." His frown gave way to a slight smirk, and he leaned in toward me for a stage whisper. "And you must already know how stubborn she can be at accepting help."

Well, she hasn't quite resisted as much as one prideful witch _I_ know of. Though it is pretty clear she can be fairly touchy. It's actually a nice thing to know, that my time with Tohsaka has resulted in knowing how to deal with someone like her, when to defer and when to push, and when to duck and run.

Maybe I shouldn't be so happy, now that I think of it.

"Yeah, I can see where she could be that way," I said. "Is there anything you would recommend to make her feel better?"

Jinan-sensei looked at me sadly. "Do you want my honest opinion?"

I frowned at him. I hated it when people gave me rhetorical questions like that; not only was it just a logical thing, it always meant there was going to be an issue they did not want to discuss. "Yes."

"I think you should make this your final evening at the Tohno residence and go home."

Admittedly, I did not see that as one of the possibilities, even. Of course, I've always been blind to the concept of not trying to help somehow. "I don't understand."

The older man sighed, crossing his arms, his own shopping basket hanging from an elbow, rocking back and forth quietly like a nursing parent. "Akiha-san is dealing with something quite frustrating and painful, something that the average person is not equipped to deal with, physically or emotionally." He gave me a slight smile. "I know that you are not exactly average, but it is a very daunting thing, stepping into her world. Just as daunting as someone at random stepping into yours, Emiya-san."

I suppose I understood that, at the very least. The Tohno family seemed to have its own skeletons and some kind of ties to the world I knew. Even Jinan-sensei himself seemed to be some kind of indirect link to that.

"Our talk earlier had me concerned about your," Jinan-sensei continued on. "Your words and…state…suggest many things to me, the least of which that you seek trouble."

I smirked. "I wouldn't say that. I think trouble knows how to find me just fine. No need to go looking."

"Emiya-san, I'm being serious. If you persist in trying to help Akiha-san, you may end up only knowing harm instead. She is a very proud young woman, and I would imagine that she does not want you to interfere as well, for your own good."

Yeah, I get that a lot. "Sorry, Jinan-sensei. But if you want to talk trouble, if there's anything I can do to curb it with these hands, I'll try. It really isn't in me not to." I glanced to my basket, at the food acquired. "Besides, there's nothing she can do to me that can harm me further. Not anymore than I've already experienced, anyway."

* * *

><p>I returned that afternoon to the Tohno residence, Jinan-sensei's words still in my head. Though I certainly had no desire to turn away if I could be of help to Tohno-san, the excuse I had to stay really was weak now that I had been directed to Jinan-sensei and spoken with him about my old man. I could only impose on them for so long.<p>

Sneaking in the front door, I caught Hisui moving through the foyer, a huge box in her arms completely obscuring her vision. I put the bag of food down and went to help. "Let me get that."

The maid turned to look over her shoulder at me, quite possibly the only place she could actually see from. The expression she gave me, though equally blank as all the other times I had seen her—sans her instant knockout last night from the drinks—still managed to be disapproving. "I do not require help. I know where everything is."

"Still…" I glanced up over the lip of the box to peer inside, finding various small picture frames and other decorative items inside. "What is all of this?"

"As spring is approaching, it is time to redecorate," she said, matter-of-factly. I could not help but somehow feel like she was reciting something out of a book. "A change of color is essential for the mind to accept the difference in seasons."

Yes, indeed, doldrums is the enemy. I shook my head, wondering if all maids were as strange as these sisters. Or if all sisters were as strange as these maids. "I see." She seemed so against my help, though, that I decided to try and stay out of her way. It _was_ presumptuous to try and help her with her job, especially when I had hardly spoken a word to her. "Where's Kohaku?"

"In the kitchen, I believe, planning dinner."

Hmmm, not good. She was preempting any further incursions into her territory. I would have to adjust my strategy. "And Tohno-san?"

"In the lounge, on the phone with classmates." Hisui readjusted the box, and moved past me. "I would like to express my thanks at that, since Akiha-sama is prone to overwork. Since you noted she was not feeling well and convinced her to stay home for the day, I believe she will be up to speed tomorrow."

Prone to overwork…yeah, something about this entire household felt like that. Big box included. "Happy to help."

I gathered my groceries and headed for the living room space, could make out Tohno-san speaking from down the hall. If I had not been told otherwise, I would have guessed that she were some kind of wheeling-dealing politico or businessperson working out plans for some kind of event, not a high school student apparently trying to get some loose ends at school managed while she was absent. Also, it sounded like she was a little scary to be on the other end of a phone with.

I will have to use that the next time Fuji-nee complains I don't phone home enough. _Sorry,__ Fuji-nee,__ but __if__ Tohsaka __answered, __I__'__d be __scared__ of__ what__ she__ might__ say._

Tohno-san held out a finger to me, signaling that she would be a moment, the phone still clutched in her other hand. I could faintly make out a long-winded explanation of something from the other end, and could imagine the person making the report on the other end, a diligent student that probably looked up to Tohno-san and was doing her bidding voluntarily. I had this strange feeling that, unlike Tohsaka, Tohno-san's "honor student" air was actually something she defaulted upon normally, not just as a social façade.

"If you need the extra funding, why didn't you try it with Shizume-san?" Tohno-san said into the phone, her voice hinging on irritated. "This isn't something I can fix overnight, and you should be handling it yourself now anyway."

Whoever was on the other end sounded properly chastised, and I grinned. Whatever it was Tohno-san decided she was going to do with her life, I had the feeling she would keep people wrapped around her finger quite well.

"I will be sure to see about that tomorrow, then. Now, I have other things to attend to. Yes. Yes. Well then." She set the phone down, properly dismissing her former issue and turning her gaze up at me, leaning back in her chair as she did so. "You do realize, this is all your fault, Emiya-san."

"Everything is always my fault. All the women in my life have pointed that out to me."

Tohno-san smirked, the kind of look in her eyes that said she was not surprised by my statement, though sly that it was possible to use against me in future conversations. "Interesting that you would not even ask what you are being blamed for."

"The end of the world, no doubt."

She chortled, flipping her hair back behind her shoulder. "No, nothing so severe. Just kohai at school somehow deciding they are helpless without me. I can only imagine what it would be like at a mixed genders school. Now, what can I do for you?"

"You can give me your hand in marriage."

Ha. The look on her face was near perfect—I just wish I could have timed it when she had something liquid at hand, just for the spit-take. "W-w-what?"

"That's what it would be like at a mixed genders school," I said, grinning. "You would probably be getting proposals daily."

Actually, this was probably not the way to endear me toward bossing Kohaku into letting me use the kitchen. Tohno-san gave me this look like she wanted to strike me upside the head for surprising her and twisting her own words against her in such a fashion. Ah, just like home. "You really shouldn't say such things out of the blue like that."

"All the women in my life have pointed that out to me."

Ruefully, completely against her will, the smirk seemed to creep back up on her lips. "Propose to women out of the blue regularly?"

"Only the pretty ones." I shrugged. "Anyway, usually it is followed up by an offer to make them breakfast, but, well, since it is way too late—or early—for that, think I could persuade you to persuade Kohaku to let me back into the kitchen to make dinner instead?"

Tohno-san's grin managed full force at that. "I think she doesn't appreciate your monopoly of earlier and would be very resistant to such an idea."

"Still…"

"Still," Tohno-san nodded, "I guess, now that you have spoken with Jinan-sensei, you will probably be planning on heading out soon?"

I half-shrugged, half-nodded, completely non-committal. Well, it was true, though I was still curious as to what was going on here with Tohno-san, and what her ties to the magical world were—

"Then that would mean I might only have tonight to inconvenience Kohaku further. Which, don't tell anyone, I very much enjoy doing, just to see how she'll react."

I couldn't help but smirk at that. Kohaku did have funny ways of showing her displeasure at things not going her way.

"Then, I suppose, I should use that opportunity while I still have the chance." Tohno-san nodded, as if this thought was a hard-won conclusion. "Call her in for me."

A partial victory for me, as Tohno-san made the compromise that Kohaku and I work together at dinner. The maid pouted and whined, but in the end acquiesced to her employer's demands, and we cooked the tataki I had initially thought of yesterday. I thought that the lack of frying would help with whatever was making Tohno-san feel uncomfortable, plus the health factor in general of fish. It went over well, though I think part of that came from the half-argument Kohaku and I continued to have over the plate and our different approaches at flash-searing it.

That night, though, I lay awake and restless, no longer just because of the dreams I thought I might have, but what might be going on elsewhere in the mansion. I calmed myself by mentally organizing the various meals I could make here if I stayed another day, and the ones that I wanted to do for Fuji-nee and Tohsaka once I made my way back to Fuyuki. It did not last as long as I hoped, though, and when I checked the clock, it merely read 12:24 AM.

Still, that was over an hour since Tohno-san had retired to bed, and I decided that I would try and see if my theory was correct. I had not even bothered to change clothes, rolling out of bed and padding out the door in one motion, trying my best to avoid the creaks and groans of the old house's floor.

I know Kohaku at least had also retired at the same time as Tohno-san, though I had not managed to tell whether Hisui had as well; when I spotted a light on downstairs, I debated whether or not to approach since I might just end up surprising the hard-working maid. My suspicion and curiosity got the better of me, though, and I crept down the stairs and back out into the living room lounge space.

Tohno-san was indeed the one awake, standing in the middle of the room at random, wavering in place, like a zombie in one of those B-grade horror films, or Sadako Yamamura ready to curse someone. Her back turned toward me, I considered what to start with conversationally, but she had apparently heard me despite my attempts at stealth. "Emiya-san, go back to bed."

"Says the high school student who should be getting rest to get back to class in the morning." I sighed, frowning at my own words. Sometimes, my mouth just bit back even when it didn't need to. "Let me make you some tea if you're feeling bad still, or help you back to yo—"

"I don't need your help," she said, her voice a low huff, like she were barely spitting them out. "Look, I appreciate the concern, but it _isn__'__t_ your problem."

"Tohno-san, you really don't sound alright, though," I said, and it was true. Even though her words were sure, the waver in her voice made her sound weak, like a jittery diabetic late on a shot.

"I'm _fine_. I can take care of myself," she spat.

I turned back around to face the way I had come, though mainly to keep from strolling over and shaking her violently by the shoulders. There was a near trance-like state she seemed to be in, and I just wanted to pull her out of it.

Pull her out of it…

I guess, though, it was more like I was forcing my way through to her, and that wasn't working. And really, it shouldn't work, not the way that I knew pride like this to work.

In some ways, pride I understood.

"I thought like that too, not too long ago," I said, crossing my arms in front of my chest. It was a habit I had picked up on when I felt like lecturing, and it was unfortunately something of a pose I loathed. The only reason I had picked up on it was because of _him_, after all. "And that really didn't work out at all."

"You and I are different," Tohno-san said.

I snorted. "Not really." Maybe, that, ultimately, was what I felt was so frustrating. Though nominally Tohno-san reminded me a lot of Tohsaka, she also reminded me, in some ways, of myself. A stubborn loner. "If you're not going to let me help you, maybe you can help me instead. Tell me what's wrong with this picture."

_There was a boy who wanted to do anything he could to protect something precious to him, was willing to sacrifice himself in the service of that thing. He thought he could do so himself, without help. But instead, others were sacrificed to save him, and he realized that he could not protect anything with his own hands…_

* * *

><p>Origami Blades: Violet Hydrangea, End<p> 


	18. OB Interlude: White Lily

AN: I apologize if any waterworks are shed here. I just workshopped a story about a dog being euthanized and got my Madoka story workshopped in return, so, I'm in a teary mood?

* * *

><p>FateFar Side: Origami Blades

Interlude

White Lily

* * *

><p>"<em>Thou, clad in the Divine Trinity and of the Seven Heavens, remove thine self from the rings of restraint.<em>

_Guardian of the balance!"_

* * *

><p>Shirou opened his eyes, glanced to Rin.<p>

The dark-haired witch shrugged, giving him a sympathetic curl of her lips. "There's a connection, though it is still faint."

With a deep sigh, Shirou turned his eyes to Saber. The woman sat opposite him, as regal as ever, hands in her lap and head bowed slightly.

She too opened her eyes, though hers went first to her Master. "Yes," Saber said, "I can detect prana through the connection, now."

"It might just be faint because I'm a pretty bad magus," Shirou admitted.

Rin was the one to shake her head at that. "No. Now that we have your stupid habits taken care of, the circuit I can detect is fine, if a little dusty, so to speak." She shrugged. "To be honest, I think that might just be one of the reasons the connection was so bad to begin with, because your regular circuit was dormant. The flow now should improve just like the ease in which you activate your circuit."

Shirou gave Rin an askance glare. He thought he could detect a backhanded complement in there somewhere, what with refuting his "bad magus" statement, but she sure obscured it. And so gleefully, too. "You're sure about that."

She pursed her lips to a frown. "Like I know for sure! I really can't understand anything about your magic, you dope. Everything is backwards and upside-down from where it should be!"

"Rin," Saber said, "please, do not be angry. Shirou and I are both very grateful for your help."

Rin crossed her arms and leaned forward; Shirou leaned back onto his hands, beads of sweat forming at his hairline. "And _are_ you?"

Shirou nodded furiously. "O-of course I am, you idiot! I just thought you'd know is all, it's not like _I_ know any better!"

With a huff, the girl relented, pulling back and out of Shirou's personal space—giving the boy distance enough to take a breath. "Alright. Then, I'll leave you two to figure out what you're gonna do next. And be warned!" she grinned, "now that Berserker is out of the way, you just know that Archer is going to be ready for a fight." She sighed. "Though it isn't like we defeated him alone, so, I owe you that much, at least."

Shirou nodded again. "Really, thanks, Tohsaka."

She flipped her hair over her shoulder and looked away. "Yeah, well, get on with it. I'll be out in the living room."

Shirou watched as Rin pulled herself up from the floor of his room and slid the door closed behind her as she left. He then turned his gaze back toward his Servant, who stared at him carefully, like he was suddenly in possession of a dangerous weapon. "What?"

"I…do not know," Saber said, looking away. "Perhaps it was a byproduct of being 'summoned' when I am already present."

"What?"

"Shirou, you said you did not know about the Holy Grail prior to having Rin explain it to you, correct?"

Shirou nodded. He felt like he was just being a reactionary a lot, lately. "Yeah, that's right."

"Perhaps…" Saber sighed. "Perhaps it is nothing, but, I felt like, when you were performing the ceremony…" She fidgeted in place, looking down at her own hands now. "Perhaps it is nothing."

"No," Shirou sounded almost accusatory, "if it's bothering you, we should talk about it now. So we know what we're going to do about the others, if it comes back to fighting." He of course understood it would, but he liked to hope and dream that he could talk down the others that would come up; even though Illya had not been talked down, now that she was Servant-less, she seemed completely disinterested in further battle.

"I wonder…if it is not something, a remnant, because of the previous war," Saber admitted.

Shirou nodded once more. They had talked a great deal as she lay in bed, debilitated by the use of her Noble Phantasm, and he had learned much about her ambitions—including the ones that had been denied previously, by his father. "Go on."

"I think I saw your past, like you saw mine."

He eyed her carefully, not exactly surprised. He had long ago considered that where he could see her past in his mind's eye, in his dreams, it was entirely possible that the opposite was or would be true. Servants may not dream—Rin had explained as much—but Shirou knew that he was far from a regular Master, and Saber was far from the average Servant, in more ways than one.

"I saw the fire," Saber said, "your earliest memories."

"And?"

Saber looked reluctant to continue, though not out of any kind of fear. Her eyes were pitying, sympathetic. "What you see is something nobody should burden themselves with carrying," she said.

"What I see?"

She met him with a frank stare. "I can tell, Shirou, the kind of person you are. It is not something you put behind you in any fashion. You may not think of it constantly, but it is a constant within your heart."

It was not like he could deny it, Shirou knew. It was a constant, just like everything else about that time. The fire, the death and destruction, his emptiness—

His salvation.

"It's the only place I know," Shirou countered. He gave her a sincere look, one not of joy, or of pain, of comfort or despair, but all wrapped in one, a smile despite sadness, a curling at the corners of his eyes despite acceptance. "Is that it? I mean, knowing my past really doesn't do much, besides even the score between us. Only fair, isn't it?"

Saber frowned. "That is not the point." She looked back down to her own hands, the blue skirt around her legs bunching up between her fingers. "I owe you apologies, Shirou—both to you and to Kiritsugu, as well as one in Kiritsugu's name."

"I don't understand."

"I think, seeing your father, I understand a little about why he made the choices he did. But, more than that…we both have done something terrible to you. I think we are both very responsible for making you as you are."

Shirou grinned. "So, what, now I'm a bad thing?"

"That is not what I meant!" she said, fiercely, no hint of embarrassment from his joke; instead, she seemed angry at the very notion. "Shirou, everything he did to save you, I understand, and I approve of…but by saving you, we have both put a very unreal burden upon you! What you seek is not something that can be found! What Kiritsugu wanted and gave to you…it is something not even Kiritsugu could know. There is nothing there, Shirou. No perfect world, no saving everyone. And I am sorry, because you should not live in exchange for only pursuing an ephemeral dream."

She was before him now, no longer a king, a knight, or a Servant; she was a person, a warm touch, her hands on his shoulders as if to beg forgiveness of him. He wished he could explain to her things he just could not vocalize, could not find the words to. It was okay, there was no fault to be had anywhere, people die and people live, and he had accepted that much, at least.

He did not understand her part in it, though that was ultimately unimportant to the grand scheme of things: he was grateful, and that was that. She needed no forgiveness from him. "I make that choice, every day, and it's my choice to make," Shirou said. "If everything else is a fake, it doesn't matter; so long as where I started is real."

* * *

><p>She was gone.<p>

Once more, someone else had died, and he had lived.

The sound of the battle had moved off down the street, and even Rin looked somewhat at ease, though she too stared down at the space Saber had occupied, her eyebrows crested downward in regret.

"Shirou," Illya started, her tiny hands at his shoulder.

The boy looked up from his lap, though instead of meeting the girls' eyes, he peered up at the Servant in black and red. Tears marred his vision, making the figure before him seem less human and more like a blur in his head, a figment, no more real than that which had passed from his hands and now lay empty before him.

"This is what happens when you cling to your ideal, Shirou Emiya," Archer said. "You will forever only know suffering if you persist in placing others before you."

"Archer!" Rin hissed, glaring back to her Servant.

Shirou blinked past the blurriness, his hands too occupied with the tiny keychain Illya had pressed into his palms. He wanted to refute the strike of words, wanted to stab back with everything in him, but—

The sound of curses, then taunts filled the air; it seemed that one of the unwelcome guests had somehow eluded the other.

"And if," Shirou started, his voice hoarse, "if I said I still want to save others, even though I know I can't alone?"

Archer's gaze turned away, back toward the general direction the battle had taken foot to. "I would tell you you're an idiot." The paired swords formed in his hands, and he glanced about. "Rin, he's going to circle back here."

Rin blinked up at her Servant. "Huh?"

"The one with the mask. He plans on returning." It was not Archer who answered, but Shirou. "Illya was his target, after all." He pulled himself up onto his feet, though both Rin and Illya flinched, seemingly thinking he would just topple over from the emotional blow just dealt to him. "We should get out of here."

There was no signal for another attack—the blades just flew in without warning, without even making a sound. Archer spotted them in time, though, and he planted himself before the group, deflecting aside projectiles, four, five, six of them, all landing at his feet. The black knives of the Assassin Servant.

"Get moving," Archer said. "I have some unfinished business with this one, anyway."

"But, Archer," Rin started, looking torn.

The Servant in red kept his eyes fixed in the direction of Assassin, the white mask now barely visible amidst the pale evening sky. It wavered in place atop the opposite wall, waiting for the perfect chance to strike, watching for the return fire one of the Archer class could send his way.

But…

"Understand that sacrifice, and maybe I won't have to worry," Archer said.

Rin glanced to Shirou, watching the boy as he seemed to shudder at the words, seemed to somehow become both more vulnerable and more intense at the same time. He wavered momentarily in place, then took Illya by the hand, motioned to Rin.

The three of them took off.

* * *

><p>"Like it would be so easy—" Assassin said, leaping in their wake—<p>

Blades rained from the sky, a wall of blades to block his path, to force the white mask back. Though he effortlessly avoided their strikes, Assassin was out-maneuvered from making another leap after the kids as they fled, each step backpedaling him onto his heels. He landed in the garden only to have a sword fly at him from the south, but when he leapt north a blade flew into his path and he had to move laterally. Four, five, six blades—until he was right back where he started.

"Like it would be so easy," Archer said, the faint hint of a smirk even within the words themselves.

Assassin leapt upward, back atop the barrier wall surrounding the Emiya estate—

Seven blades crashed into the wall from behind him, and Assassin dove unceremoniously into the dirt to avoid being struck.

"Mongrels belong on all fours in the dirt," Gilgamesh said, landing about the Phantasms he had shot. "You're barking if you think you can escape my sight."

Assassin glanced to the Servant in gold, then to Archer, and though his mask concealed any expression, it could not shield the long sigh that came from beneath.

* * *

><p>Even with the panting as they ran for their lives, Shirou, Illya, and Rin could make out the cacophony that rang out behind them.<p>

And yet, even past the din of battle, even stronger than the scraping of steel and the groans of the earth—

Still, a deep, resonant voice could be heard.

"_I__ am __the__ bone__ of__ my__ sword_."

* * *

><p>They made it to Enzou, to the mountain where Ryuudou Temple lay.<p>

"Why…here…again?" Shirou asked, panting.

"The barrier," both Rin and Illya answered in tandem, briefly glancing at each other, then at Shirou. "It weakens Servants if they pass through anywhere but the stairway," Rin further elaborated.

Shirou caught his breath, peered into the forest. "Should we hide out in the middle, then?"

"Actually," Illya said, "there's a tunnel system beneath that should be even better. Not only do you have to figure a way through the barrier, the cave is cramped and using Noble Phantasms would be more difficult."

Rin looked at her funny, but Shirou cut off any kind of argument the two might start up. "That sounds great, but would Archer know about this place?"

"You speak as if that faker could actually help you."

They turned to the sound of the voice, though the shiver that went down all three of their spines simultaneously already told them what they needed to know. Gilgamesh strolled toward them, once more in his fur-lined coat rather than the golden armor, as if to remind them of how little a threat they were.

He sneered when they caught sight of him. "You look as if you thought you could even run from the danger, like that pathetic Assassin did. I suppose mutts are only good for barking and running."

Shirou backed the girls up behind him, toward the stairway, never once turning away from the golden-haired Servant. "Tohsaka," he said.

"No," she ground out, "he's gone, just a second ago."

Shirou's eyes narrowed. If Archer had been defeated, it apparently was not by this Servant at all; not even Gilgamesh could have made it to them in the span of a few seconds. Ultimately, it did not matter, the more pressing issue: "Then both of you get going."

"But Shirou—" Illya started.

He shook his head. Saber was gone. Berserker as well. Archer apparently too. And Shirou was certain that Assassin had to have been taken out between Archer and this Gilgamesh. But there was still no sign of Lancer past that initial night, and both Rider and Caster were still unaccounted for. The war was still on, and Shirou knew that if any of them were going to survive this, he could not risk Rin or Illya in a battle with this one _at__ all_.

It fell on him.

"You're crazy," Rin said, though she was already pulling at Illya's arm, trying to make the tiny girl budge from her place next to Shirou.

"Don't they say that the gods look after fools?" Shirou said.

"The gods are crazy too."

Gilgamesh halted, a few meters of distance separating them, seemingly amused as they plotted amidst themselves. He raised a hand, and that golden light formed beyond his shoulders. "Finished with your schemes?"

"Shirou—" Illya started again.

"Go!" Shirou shouted.

A snap of Gilgamesh's fingers.

The sound like miniature explosions, of flight breaking the sound barrier sounded out like the starting pistol of a race. Blades flew at them, into them—

Shirou deflected a handful aside, paired white-and-black swords in hand. Rin and Illya charged up the stairs, then jumped past the shrubs into the foliage beyond.

"Knight-in-shining wannabe," Gilgamesh said, sneering once more, "you think your fakery can compare to my treasures?"

"Only one way to find out," Shirou said.

* * *

><p>It rained death.<p>

Steel meant to kill, blades meant to take life. They came down at him like rain, and each brought the threat of eternity. Shirou blocked what he could with the paired scimitars, though with each burst from the gate, he would retreat a dozen steps, trying to put distance between them, even as Gilgamesh advanced.

Shirou blocked one, grimaced as another cut into his side, cursed as Bakuya shattered in hand, forcing him to project another. He stepped back further and further, knocking back another sword, then barely had time to cross the blades before his body as a spear careened into him; twin swords broke, and he was cut again, hardly managing to twist out of the way of being impaled completely. He stepped back again, and his heels dug into the first step to Ryuudou, and he fell to his haunches.

"You now have _two_ things that belong to me," the golden Servant said. "Even if you begged for mercy now, I would hear nothing but the dying throes of a mongrel."

Death stood before him, guaranteed, this Servant somehow so exponentially stronger than all others. If a normal person could not hope to face a normal Servant, this extraordinary one was beyond anything, any kind of hope.

Yet…

"_Understand that sacrifice, and maybe I won't have to worry."_

The man in red had said that, had spoken it with the first words of sincerity that did not reek of scathing anger and cynicism.

It didn't matter. This time, any time. Be it the giant Servant who roared like a monster, the shadowy Servant that had nearly taken his heart, this golden Servant with his endless stores of Phantasms…

Every night, lancing the feeling of hot iron into his spine. Or fire raging through Fuyuki.

Death always stood before him.

Others continued to save him, keeping that death from ever reaching him.

Then—

If he could ever face it himself, with nothing else in the way—

No.

The pain was receding, the cuts in his side and belly, his raw knuckles, cut face…all of them seemed to lighten, seemed to fall away from his mind and body.

Not alone…

He clasped the keychain tightly, swore he felt warmth emanating from it. It pulsed, as if alive, as if full of pumping blood, and he thought, he swore—

_I am here. You are not alone._

—a voice came from within.

"Now give me what is mine, mongrel!"

_Draw it, Shirou—!_

Gram, Houtengeki, Kusanagi, Durendal, Caladbolg—they shot out after him, faster than he could possibly move to avoid, faster than a mere human could hope to survive—

"_Trace,__ on!_"

And were repelled by the radiance of a promised victory.

Excalibur waved through the air in a perfect arc that sundered each and every blade's path that came for Shirou, sending the numerous Phantasms tumbling aside. Gram spun in the air, Caladbolg cracked, three blades were completely cut into halves.

The golden Servant's eyes bulged, his teeth clamped together in a snarl no man could hope to match. If the fury of a king was to be feared, the fury of a god-king that reigned over even other kings was enough to burn the air about them. "You sully her with your commoner hands?"

Shirou raised Excalibur, placed it like a shield to ward off the growing light as the Gate of Babylon was opened further.

"_If I said I still want to save others, even though I know I can't alone?"_

The Servant in red had said it was foolish to pursue, that heroes were singular entities.

But still, Shirou understood. Alone, he certainly could not accomplish anything. He had not even managed to survive his birth, his existence, by escaping that fire alone. Another had saved him.

And even as the voices of those that had died haunted him, pressed him away from that place, to that distant horizon he was certain he would never reach—

_The place you carry with you…I can see it now, truly see it._

He nodded. Certainly, of all things, that was not a fake.

That origin was truth, and even if the future from that point on was ever distant, and hazy for that distance—

What lies beyond must also be truth.

_If_ I_ can__ see __it,__ then__…_

So could he.

"Know your place, faker!" Gilgamesh roared, and death rained down from the golden gate.

_Know your place, Shirou._

He knew it. He always knew it. It was the one thing, for certain, he did know.

"_I__ am__ the __bone __of __my __sword_."

* * *

><p>Interlude, White Lily, End<p> 


	19. OB Chapter 5: Black Carnation

AN: Sorry for the slower update, was away from regular net access for Thanksgiving.

I thought that the Excalibur thing should be clear at this point; Shirou, now in possession of Saber's Dragon Reactor, now has the direct connection necessary both for Avalon and Excalibur. One of the reasons that Shirou is incapable of reproducing Excalibur is the fact that he doesn't have the prana output to activate it, which is now solved, nor the clear "image" in his head, which, with Saber so close to him now, both metaphorically and physically…

As implied in the past interlude, Shirou is actively using his connection to Saber to recreate Excalibur. In Healing Hands, after transferring her connection to Akiha, he would be unable to reproduce Excalibur again.

* * *

><p>FateFar Side: Origami Blades

Chapter 5

Black Carnation

* * *

><p>Maybe because it was easier to talk about it without staring someone down, I kept my back turned the entire time I explained the story, kept my arms around me like a barrier. It was not difficult to explain, though; it played out in my mind's eye so regularly I could measure the exact distance between Berserker and I the first time we were attacked, the exact seconds of the minute of the hour that Assassin appeared, the number of weapons Gilgamesh shot at me. Voicing it, though, made it somehow feel tangible, like the true name of Noble Phantasms being called before tearing the city apart.<p>

_So, your Noble Phantasm would be called "The Holy Grail War" then?_

Makes sense, though. It might be the only thing that I could claim is truly mine, after all.

"And that's it? Now, you're never alone?"

I went to grin, glancing back to Tohno-san, but I met her eyes as I did so. She stared out from behind her hair, her head bent in such a way that she just seemed tinier, younger. Even if only a year or two separated us—

Hah. Maybe, with Saber's presence always so close, I've started to carry around some of her sense of agelessness. I ought to remember that I had yet to even break twenty years myself.

"I don't know if 'that's it' really covers 'it' all, but, yeah." I nodded. "I'm still here because she's with me."

Yes.

I guess, multiple times over, I've lived because she has sacrificed much for me.

"It must be nice, to never be alone like that."

She looked very lonely, saying that, standing there, and I sighed. "I haven't really thought of it like that, though." Giving a shrug, I glanced back up at the ceiling, at the space where, at that time, I could have seen Assassin bearing down on us, at Berserker's sword coming down, at Gilgamesh's blades raining down. "I've always thought more about having survived, at how much that has cost others."

"You think they regret it?"

I gave a helpless shrug. "If they were still alive, it makes sense that they would have regrets. But I can't really make my way through life thinking about that if I plan on getting anywhere." While Tohno-san mulled that over, I darted over and grabbed her by the wrist. "Now, as for regrets here, I certainly think Kohaku and Hisui would be upset to know you're up and about all sleepless without asking them for help. Like it or not, I don't think we should give them that kind of regret."

Tohno-san huffed, though she allowed me to pull at her arm and guide her toward her room. "Not that Hisui would show any kind of regret. And Kohaku could stand to be a little more serious," she muttered.

I snorted. "You know what they say: don't let your daughter-in-law eat the autumn eggplants."

"A little too late for that," Tohno-san muttered. I glanced over my shoulder at her, but she was looking away, off to one side, like she could stare beyond the walls of the house to the darkness beyond.

* * *

><p>I was helpless.<p>

Considering my history, there's not a lot I can do about it. I look at the world with such a different, strange view that I have a hard time understanding what can make people cheer up. Sure, I can fight off the bad, I can listen, and I can sympathize, but I'm pretty ill-equipped to handling actively cheering someone up. What little experience I do have was pretty disastrous and things are still awkward with Tohsaka because of it.

Wandering around town the next day, I was faced with more irrefutable truth on the matter. Sure, I had attended birthday parties before, been out with friends occasionally, things like that. Back when Shinji and I still got along, I went to a birthday party for him at the end of junior high. I was dragged along to Mitsuzuri's celebration for being elected captain of the Archery club. Fuji-nee and I baked a cake for Sakura's fifteenth—

Well, I guess it was more like, I baked a cake, and Fuji-nee was my backseat chef.

—and all the work I did for the student council seemed to cheer Issei up. But doing something specifically and only for the sake of cheering them up, without a celebration event to share in or something specific to fix or help with, I was at a loss. Too, I didn't know Tohno-san that well, so it wasn't like I could just pick her up a gift that I knew would make her feel better.

What did girls like, anyway? I mean, all I ever heard from Tohsaka was complaints about money—and that did not seem to be an issue with Tohno-san. Sakura liked just doing things, whether going out to shop or even just sitting around cleaning the Archery supplies we used for club. For the brief time she spent with us, Illya just wanted entertainment, whatever that meant, so long as it was new and interesting. I never paid much attention to Mitsuzuri, and of course Saber and I had a lot to pay attention to elsewhere that hobbies never really came up. Fuji-nee…well, I won't go there.

I wandered around a shopping arcade for a bit, trying to find something that struck me as perfect—but it really did seem pointless. Tohno-san did not strike me as the type to, say, ride a bike for pleasure. Getting her a kimono was too intimate, and I didn't have body measurements to go by either—

Actually, that's untrue; I remember some details quite vividly, even if I will never admit that aloud.

—while doing something like a box of sweets seemed _too_ impersonal. Here you go: a box of sugar, maybe it will stand in for actual thoughtfulness and personal concern. Yeah, no.

I ended up further downtown, my mind unable to process any further ideas. I supposed I could bring her out around town, though that seemed like a date, and I had a feeling such a proposal would not go over very well. Too, I really did not want her to think I was going to try in any fashion to take advantage of her supposed weakness—she was not feeling well for whatever reason, and I wanted to just try and be friendly for her, since it seemed like she didn't have enough of that in her life.

I found myself snorting when I passed a sign advertising a host club. No, that wouldn't do either, plus _awkward_ did not even begin to explain that sort of lead-in. I grumbled to myself, wishing Tohsaka were here to give me some help.

Wishing she were here…

Giving help…

Together…

Hmm.

* * *

><p>I burst into the kitchen so fast and loud that Kohaku, already there to start preparing dinner, jumped half a meter into the air and fumbled something in her hands. "S-Shirou? Is something wrong?"<p>

"We're teaming up for dinner!"

It honestly looked like Kohaku were a robot and my words had just pulled the plug on her power source, the way she froze in place and stared at me in her incomprehension. "Huh?"

I grinned, so wide a grin that I felt like it might split my face.

The only sign Kohaku gave that she was, in fact, a living, breathing creature was the faint sheen of sweat that formed on her forehead.

* * *

><p>"This. Is. Wonderful." Tohno-san nodded in approval at her meal, a deconstructed oden bowl that was actually cooked in a shabu-shabu style of preparation. Normally, I would never try such a thing, but…<p>

"I'm glad you like it," I said, smirking. "Kohaku and I had quite the challenge in conjuring it up."

Tohno-san paused with the next bite halfway to her mouth. She glanced to Kohaku, who was blushing behind her serving platter; the maid was playing coy, but obviously happy with the results. "She let you back into the kitchen?"

"Isn't it great, the kind of things one can do when teaming up? Relying on someone else?" I could not help but say so with a kind of over-the-top self-effacing tone, like I had just at this moment come up with the moral of the story. It was stupid and probably a little immature of me, but, well, I couldn't help it.

The predictable narrowing of her eyes and pursing of her lips came, though it was offset by the fact that she was still taking bites from the food. "Kohaku?"

"Ehehehe," the maid snickered, "I'm sorry?"

"Not sorry enough, traitor."

Though Kohaku gave a helpless shrug, it was Hisui that spoke up from her place over Tohno-san's shoulder. "Emiya-sama makes a valid point, though, Akiha-sama. You should rely on us more, not concern yourself so much. Especially when you are not feeling well."

Propriety would not allow Tohno-san to just slam her forehead onto the table, though it seemed like she was fighting off the urge. "And now everyone teams up on me." It was a half-hearted complaint, though, since she had a sort of puffed-cheek expression with it that was, well, rather cute, taking the edge away from her words. "And Emiya-san? Should you not be, you know, heading on your way?"

I grinned at her. "Maybe. Though I kinda like it here…"

Tohno-san scowled, again, in an exaggerated fashion.

"Yeah, I know." And really, it was true. Though I was glad to perhaps give her something to think about now, though. "So long as you keep my secret?"

Those words evoked a hilarious, nearly cartoony reaction from Kohaku, whose head perked up like she had just been physically pinged by radar, her gaze turning my way like a hawk. "_Secret_?" Her eyes almost felt like they were telescoping into my head.

With a belligerent wave of her hand, Tohno-san said, "Yeah, yeah, I will not tell anyone. Not even the evil, conniving blackmail master, here."

"I resent the implication that I would be a master at such things."

Tohno-san eyed the maid in the exact same way I did, a sort of unspoken question clearly hanging in the air: _you__'__re __not__ going __to__ deny __the__ evil,__ conniving __blackmail __part?_

It was hardly perceptible, but even Hisui gave a long-suffering sigh from her side of the table.

* * *

><p>I stayed up that night, until one, and checked to see if Tohno-san was going to be worrisome again. Instead, I found Hisui in the living room, the maid looking suspiciously like she was on guard.<p>

"Emiya-sama," she said when I peeked my head in through the entryway, "what are you doing awake?"

I looked carefully at Hisui's setup, sitting in a chair out of the way, but from where she could see the entire room as well as peer into the antechamber that led to the stairs. The chair did not look comfortable—even the opposite, it could possibly be stiff and uninviting. Perfect for keeping awake, insofar as furniture could assist in the matter. "The same thing I assume you are," I said. "Making sure Tohno-san doesn't have a repeat performance?"

"Nee-san told me what you told her," Hisui said. "It is my duty to make sure Akiha-sama is cared for."

I gave her a disbelieving smirk. "Really?"

"I am concerned for her," Hisui said. It was stated with such factual clarity, one might not be able to read anything from it.

But I could tell what was there, just by nature of this situation. "I'm glad that she has people like you around, then," I said, smiling. "Just be sure to keep it up is all I can say."

"Of course," Hisui said.

* * *

><p>Despite the late hour getting to sleep, I was still up half-past five in the morning to get my things together. I wanted to see if I could help with breakfast again, then pop into town one last time and speak with Jinan-sensei again, this time about Tohno-san. While the doctor certainly couldn't tell me information about her, I could try and keep him informed and hope that he could use the information to keep his charge healthy.<p>

A knock on my door came before I could manage to charge out on my own for the kitchen. Hisui stepped in and took a bow. "Emiya-sama, good morning."

"Good morning. Something wrong?" I really hoped the maid had managed to find _some_ time to sleep.

"Yes," Hisui admitted. "Nee-san is not feeling well this morning and requested that you be asked to handle breakfast duties."

I stared for a minute, a little surprised. Huh. Did someone hear my prayers? Oh, no, that wouldn't do, I didn't want Kohaku to feel ill for this to happen. "That's fine…is Kohaku alright?"

Hisui said, in the same monotone as always, "Her temperature is marginally high and seems congested."

The flu? It seemed odd that she could catch anything from someone here, unless Tohno-san was actually suffering from a prolonged bout of the flu amidst this all…

Well, no, I suppose she could have caught it from me. I may not get sick, but I could be a carrier for the everyday sort of germs and whatnot.

"I'm fine with making breakfast, though I am surprised you would ask." Hisui did not seem like the type to request help, even if it was offered freely. Unlike Kohaku, she seemed to take this master-servant relationship very seriously. Not unlike someone I used to know.

_You, be quiet._

I grinned, fingering the necklace absently.

Hisui seemed to take that the wrong way, giving a faint scowl. "It is not because I am an incapable cook," she said. Even as flat as her statement was, the fact that this was the first thing that sounded defensive out of her told the real story. "Nee-san and Akiha-sama do not share my tastes, however."

I…see. "Sorry, I wasn't laughing at you." I nodded. "I'll get right on it."

Giving a terse bow, Hisui saw herself out, the faintest sign that she was displeased echoing in the heavier, harder steps that she took and the not-quite-slam of the door as she closed it behind her. I could not help but grin again, this time at the maid. It was probably a good thing I wasn't staying here longer: teasing her would probably be too much fun, much as it was with Saber.

* * *

><p>"Where is Kohaku?" Tohno-san asked when I put a very Japanese-styled breakfast before her. The meals we had at breakfast time before had always been Western-styled, so I wanted to see how this difference would work.<p>

"Nee-san is feeling ill," Hisui explained from her customary spot nearby. "She asked that Emiya-sama prepare breakfast."

"She did, did she?" Tohno-san seemed amused at that. "Not that I can fault her. You are a fine cook."

"Thank you," I said.

Tohno-san shook her head. "You really should not look so pleased with that kind of complement. It is like you are content with being a servant." She seemed to give the word servant a faint emphasis, though I could not quite tell for certain.

"If that's my fate," I said, shrugging, "might as well get used to it?"

"Indeed."

As she settled into her meal, I darted for the kitchen, then came back out with another plate. I said, "Hisui, while I'm here, you might as well take a load-off as well. Why don't you let me serve you as well?"

Hisui stared at me intensely, as if she could knife me with her eyes. "That would be inappropriate."

"You might as well let the man be a gopher while he pleases," Tohno-san said, looking to Hisui. "It is not every day that you will get a man to do his duties."

Hisui did not rise to the bait. Instead, she turned that intense expression to Tohno-san, though now concern ebbed into her gaze. She seemed unsettled. "Akiha-sama…are you feeling well?"

"Just fine, no thanks to you," Tohno-san growled.

I blinked at the statement, at the change in tone. This was not a joke like the banter yesterday had been, but I could not place my finger on what exactly had changed. I circled around to Hisui's side of the table, ostensibly to put the food down before her and coerce her into the chair, but also to get a good look at Tohno-san. Now that I took a closer look, it did seem like she was paler than usual. "Tohno-san?"

She jabbed her chopsticks into the rice. "What?"

"You are looking a little pa—"

It was as far as I got. The girl swept her arms into the dishes and flung them at me, forcing me to back off or get silverware to the face.

I put myself between Tohno-san and Hisui, something in me giving me fair warning. I could not help but feel as if the other could detect it as well; the keychain at my neck felt warmer, as if alert.

The dishes fell to the floor and Tohno-san smacked her hands atop the cleared space. "Don't concern yourself with me, you faker. You're not nii-san, so stop acting like it."

Her brother? Where did he come into the picture? "Tohno-san…"

Tohno-san's head twitched in this skin-crawling sort of way. I was reminded of that earlier comparison I had made the other night, of Sadako Yamamura, the unnatural sort of movement that was associated with that wrathful spirit. "Stop, just stop!" She clutched her chest, hard, as if suffering a heart attack, and I thought to reach out and put my hands on her shoulders—

_No, Shirou!_

For a moment, I thought I saw something, a faint flicker of red.

I reached back and grabbed Hisui by the hand. Simultaneously, I cocked the hammer to the gun in my head, opened the circuit.

There was this sudden stinging feeling in the air, and I didn't think twice: I plowed right through the wall next to us and pulled Hisui on through. My Reinforced body slammed right through the plaster, the molding, the wooden frame, and a water pipe that probably led to an upstairs bathroom. The pipe broke as I pushed through, spewing liquid down like a fire-control sprinkler, and I pulled Hisui through—

Something lanced through the air and into the water after us, sizzling. It was like some kind of serpent, alive and dangerous.

And it lanced out at the both of us.

* * *

><p>Origami Blades: Black Carnation, End<p>

* * *

><p>The proverb here, <em>akinasu <em>_wa __yome __ni__ kuwasuna_, is a saying that equates to "don't let someone take advantage of you." There's a little bit of a pun here, since the character for "autumn" is the same one used in Akiha's name. So not only is it a comment on using her well-being to evoke concern from Kohaku, but also a joke on Akiha being consumed in the process. What of Akiha gets consumed, I'll leav—*is shot*

Yeah, I'm gonna stop explaining dishes and whatnot. If you want to know, go find a Japanese restaurant and try it. Seriously. I love me my Japanese cuisine.


	20. OB Chapter 6: Blue Morning Glory

AN: Yeah, for those that didn't know, the thing in the FSN anime with a dragon and whatnot inside Saber, and Saber standing amidst what looks like an island of swirling magical circuits, that isn't something DEEN pulled out of their ass and is in fact a canonical depiction of Saber's magical reservoir. They describe it in _Realta__ Nua_ as well.

* * *

><p>FateFar Side: Origami Blades

Chapter 6

Blue Morning Glory

* * *

><p>I shoved Hisui as far as possible to one side, trying to get her clear of the new doorway I had just made. Twisting around, I tried to face whatever it was shooting at me—<p>

It felt like those early days before the war, training every night. It felt like steel, red-hot and harsh jamming through my skin and into my spine. The heat pierced my left shoulder and for a moment I felt the sensation of _pulling_, like it could rip everything inside my body out the tiny hole it made.

The words barely made it out of my mouth. "_Trace__…__on_!"

They swept down from the ceiling like a portcullis on a Western castle, huge two-handed swords arrayed like a wall. I shoved them down to cover the gap in the wall, and the burning sensation in my shoulder withdrew like a snake rearing back from a missed strike.

Despite the feeling of heat, when I reached up to touch my shoulder, I found it to be cold to the touch. Growling, I stumbled up and motioned to Hisui. "Get to your sister."

As the maid darted for the foyer and stairway, I ran through my mental workshop and thought of what the hell I was supposed to do here. This power from Tohno-san seemed not entirely under her control, and what's more—

The wall I had slammed through shuddered once, twice, then another portion collapsed as if struck by a sledgehammer. I could feel the air go hot once more and knew my time was up.

"_Finishing __resonance __of__ possessed __experience_."

Wood and insulation turned to dust as the area next to my sword-wall evaporated. Whatever it was that chased me into the room made right for me, but I was too busy to even think of avoiding their strike.

Once more, searing heat impaled me, this time right into my belly, hard and fast enough to make me gag. Before I could even respond, another pierced my right leg, and then I was flung up into the air and sent flying across the room until I hit the opposite wall.

I hardly managed to continue the aria. "_Processes__ compl__…__eted!__ P-Projections __standby_."

Just beyond the hole in the wall, I could see Tohno-san had completely overturned the dining table and was looming where I had been standing. Her hair had turned red, and whatever _that_ meant, I couldn't imagine it was good.

"_Removing__ stops!__"_ I barked. _ "__Full__ Trace__ release!__"_

Many blades formed around me, but unlike Gilgamesh's Gate of Babylon, they all belonged to one source. Tiny red cruciform hilts and long thin blades flew through the air and into the hole this invisible-something had made, as well as the hole I had shot through after dismissing the blades that had blocked it. Without a clear view of where everything stood on the other side, I just scatter-shot the blades in every direction _except_ where Tohno-san stood, hoping to hit her shadow. The whipping sound of the blades flying through the air subsided and was replaced by growling from the girl, and I knew I had caught her.

Even as Tohno-san screamed and struggled to free herself, another strike of jabbing heat hit me right at the base of my neck, digging into my collarbone like it could rip my shoulders right out of my body. It dug so deep that I was certain that, upon retching, everything in my stomach just evaporated the moment it tried to leave my body. I could feel the warm sensation deep in me fight it off, fight this intrusion off, but evoking Avalon itself was not going to get me out of this one, not if she just turned this on Kohaku and Hisui.

I howled, brought Excalibur to mind. The blade formed and I tried cutting these tendrils from my body, but the moment I had done so, the stinging and burning sensation reared right back into me, this time into my ankle, my sternum, and my left elbow. The pain shot up my spine like being hit with a cattle prod and almost lost my grip on the sword.

Cracking my eyes open—I hadn't even realized I'd shut them—I could see Tohno-san staring me down like a predator, like a tiger waiting to pounce from the long grass. She wasn't moving, still pinned multiple places by Black Keys, but it seemed like whatever force she was attacking me with, it could still move when she was immobile and glaring—

Then, if I could get her unconscious…

Swords were not really the tool for that, but…

I could barely shift my left arm around, but I brought to mind Kusanagi, the sword that the storm god Susanoo supposedly found…

"_Trigger off! Projection process complete—"_

I didn't have Invisible Air like Saber did, and it wasn't something I could copy. I did know of a sword that could command wind, though, and with Saber's instincts guiding my hand…

Slamming the flat of Kusanagi to Excalibur, the winds picked up, swirled around the blade, and—

"_Barrier of the Storm God: Strike Air!"_

I stabbed Excalibur toward Tohno-san like it could cover the distance between us. The wind back-blast was enough that it flattened me to the wall the moment the gale fled the weapon and the hole in the wall became three times the size it had been before. Tohno-san was struck dead-center, her body slamming back into the dining table and the table was even thrown legs-first into the dining room wall.

The searing left my body and I collapsed to the floor, flinching as my hand came up to touch the coin-sized holes burnt into the front of my shirt. Again, it felt more like my skin was cold to the touch, so cold that my fingertips registered like I was putting my hand into a bucket of ice. The warmth of Avalon started to overcome everything, though, and I struggled up to my feet and dismissed my weapons.

Unfortunately, the Tohnos would be doing some remodeling here in the future. The wall looked like a car had plowed through it—thankfully it wasn't a load-bearing feature of the house. Stumbling into the wreckage, I peered through the settling dust and found Tohno-san in a heap against the top of the table, the table itself now perched against the wall. She was breathing unsteadily and I made to check her pulse.

Unlike my expectations, it was running overtime, like Tohno-san had just spent the entire day running a marathon. Glancing to her hair—a burning red color even brighter than my own—my mind went through the various things I had come to learn about in the world and my knowledge was found lacking. This really didn't resemble anything Tohsaka had ever told me about, anything I had learned from some of her family's books.

This…just got really complicated.

* * *

><p>I hovered outside Tohno-san's room, waiting for Kohaku to finish looking her over. Occasionally, Hisui would pass by, some tools in hand, clearly intent on fixing the damage I had caused, and though I wanted to help her, I felt like with Tohno-san this way I should be on the lookout. If she woke and attacked Kohaku while I was fixing the pluming, I think I'd just die.<p>

It was many hours before Kohaku came out, still looking a little feverish herself, though she smiled carefully at me as she pulled the door closed behind her. "She's awake now, and cognizant, and not murderous, so you know."

That earned a blank stare. "Huh?"

Kohaku looked down. "This isn't a sudden occurrence, exactly. Akiha-sama has had to deal with many things in her life already."

I drew Kohaku away from the door so Tohno-san would not hear us talking right in front of her door. We walked over to the balcony overlooking the stairway, the faint sound of hammering coming from the dining room. "Maybe you should start from the beginning."

"Well, you see, when a man loves a woman, a stork ends up putting a baby on their front step…"

"Yeah, okay, maybe speed it up to slightly more recent events," I said, though I gave her a slight smirk.

Kohaku leaned back against the railing. "Akiha-sama is from a long line of half-breeds. She has demonic blood, and as a consequence, can do some very strange things."

Like burn your body and suck out all the head, yeah, I figured that part out the hard way.

"She normally keeps it under control…but there's been complications."

Yeah, complications. That's a nice word. "Is it me? It usually is," I said, snorting.

"No," Kohaku said, sighing. "For one, her brother, Shiki-sama, hasn't been around. There's…issues there, things that happened between them, and I think Akiha-sama gains strength when he's around. Maybe you can ask her about that sometime."

I nodded.

The hammering from the other room stopped, now replaced by a sort of creaking noise, like Hisui was pulling something flat or tightening something screwed down. Kohaku smiled at that, though the smile did not reach her eyes. "Akiha-sama has also been poisoned."

"What?"

She nodded. "Lye has been put in her food, which can cause various problems, including throat constriction and the chemical burning of the stomach's lining, among other things. A person can end up coughing terribly, even develop a fever to combat a non-existent infection. Since the damage is internal, they can even end up vomiting blood."

It did sound similar in symptoms to what Tohno-san was suffering at night and would explain her cough and occasional physical weakness, but—

That meant…

I met Kohaku's gaze, and the maid nodded again. "It was only a little, at first. I wanted her to feel physically weakened, sick. I thought she would call Shiki-sama here, make him return home to take care of her." She looked down at her feet. "It seems she's adamant about not involving him at all, though."

There was this sick feeling that rose up in my own stomach, as if _I_ were the one that had been poisoned. "_Why_?"

"Because," Kohaku said, her eyes dull and unhappy. "Because. Too many reasons…or maybe too few. I don't really know, anymore."

My mind replayed conversations I had with Tohno-san, with Kohaku, and the sense that there were unspoken things between them that even Tohno-san kept to herself. Not even like they were suspicious things, just, something Tohno-san seemed to keep out of respect. It made me wonder if Tohno-san knew… "Why?" I asked again.

"Guilt, maybe. I don't know." That same smile kept to Kohaku's face, though it was so readily apparent how empty it was, now. She was not amused, not upset, not even malicious or hateful. It just seemed like she was defaulting upon that look in the same way Hisui was ready with a face of indifference.

And it made me angry, not even at Kohaku, but at the fact that such a thing even existed in the first place.

I turned to barge right in on Tohno-san again, to demand answers from her, but Kohaku grabbed the sleeve of my shirt. "Shirou, you can't save her. This…only expedited her condition. It was bound to happen, ultimately, no matter what. Her father was like this too, in the end, and he had more knowledge and resources at his disposal to handle it. They call it an Inversion Impulse. Apparently all kinds of half-breeds have them." There was an odd pleading tone to her words, though, even if they were just bits of information. "You can talk to her now, but, there is no telling when she may snap again. And eventually, it will be permanent."

"I can still save her," I said. "She can be healed."

Kohaku shook her head. "It isn't…it isn't a disease, Shirou, or even an illness. It is intrinsic to her very life, her existence."

Dammit.

Certainly, if I handed her the power of Avalon, I could save her from poisoning. Even normal magic would work, and I could probably get a hold of Tohsaka and ask her to come down here if it came to something that couldn't be reversed by mundane means. But this other thing, this demonic blood…

I spun back around, pulled away from Kohaku's touch. "Why are you even saying this? Explaining this? If you wanted to harm her, kill her…why tell me this now?"

"Because," Kohaku said again, her voice falling in strength. There was no regret in it, so much as sad acceptance. "It doesn't please me, watching her in pain like this, but there's nothing I can do about it either. It was all I could do to begin with. And now that she's like this…well, I suspect at some point, I'll pay for it with my life."

Honestly, those words made me just want to hit the girl upside the head. "This isn't…" I stumbled around for the words, ran my hands through my hair. "There isn't some sort of universal scale where you can put your crimes up and weigh them with your life. It sounds to me like you just don't actually want to hurt her, want to feel guilty over what you've done. But I'm not the person to go to for that kind of thing."

I felt around for the pendant, felt the pulse of warmth from the keychain. No, I really wasn't the one that would hear those sort of things.

I met Kohaku's gaze evenly, tried to get her to focus on me—that glazed over look she had really bothered me. "I'm going to go talk with her. We're going to figure out a way to keep her going. And when we're through with all of this, if you still want to hurt her or if you still want to be punished for your sins…we'll figure that out, too."

All of the noise from the dining room had died, like the house itself was now listening in on us, looming over us. Kohaku looked back out over the railing, to the entryway. "It's not like everything that I have can be erased, you know."

Shrugging, I made my way to Tohno-san's door. "There isn't some universal scale. There's just us. So everything you have, maybe you should try throwing it onto someone else's shoulders and see if they can carry the weight."

The image of a young girl with red hair and eyes like mine carrying grocery bags through the rain hit me, as if I was suddenly gifted with divine insight and a much better memory. The way that Kohaku's shoulders had dropped, her head bent faintly, her back arched…it was like that time, a long time ago. It was no longer such a blank question in my mind as to when I had met her, why I had not remembered: this was the Kohaku I could visualize in my mind's eye.

The Kohaku of now asked, "What if they can't carry it?"

I said, "Then you can at least get them to walk you home, give you company along the way."

"Then…" she swallowed, "save Akiha-sama. If you can."

I smiled. "I'll stake my life on it."

* * *

><p>Origami Blades: Blue Morning Glory, End<p> 


	21. OB Chapter 7: Crimson Lycoris

AN: Yes, the titles for the chapters of _Origami__ Blades_ are all flowers. In hanakotoba, lit "flower language" of Japan, they have some meanings like the language of flowers does in the West, though often differing from the West in individual meaning. You might look them up to figure out some thematic ideas that run through each chapter.

* * *

><p>FateFar Side: Origami Blades

Chapter 7

Crimson Lycoris

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><p>"Any sane person would be long gone by now," Tohno-san said when I poked my head in through her door. She sat with her back to the headboard of her bed, the pillows propped up to recline into. She looked comfortable, relaxed, a far cry from the tensed young woman this morning, from the almost-demonic being that had gone into some kind of rage.<p>

I shrugged. "I once charged headlong into battle with the oldest and possibly most powerful entity born of mankind," I said, as if that should answer the implied issue. I really wasn't going to ever win a 'who plays smartest' contest. "How are you feeling?"

Tohno-san looked away, out the window as I closed the door behind me. The burning red color had kept to her hair, gave her an unnatural glow. Unlike, say, dyeing hair with a product, her hair seemed to move as if alive, like you could see the pulsing of fire from the follicles up through each strand like a vein of blood. It might be really pretty to look at if it didn't come with an obviously dangerous trade-off.

I sighed at her silence, went to sit in the chair before her vanity. I had not quite noticed it the few times I was here before, but Tohno-san did not seem to decorate her room in anything resembling a prissy, upper-class young woman. In many ways, it seemed oddly an antithesis to Tohsaka's place in that it hardly looked any more decorative than any of the other rooms here. And something about that kind of bothered me, kind of said something about the bleak life she might have been living up until now. "Just gonna ignore me until I go away?"

"Would it work?" she asked, still looking away.

"Not really."

There was a drop in her eyelids, barely perceptible, but I was paying close attention. She gave a huff and crossed her arms. "I don't intend to apologize."

That sounded about right. "I didn't ask for an apology."

Her shoulders sagged, like she had been braced for a fight, or had somehow expected that to chase me off. "Then what do you want from me?"

"I want to know if there's anything I can do to help."

The laugh she responded with was bitter, angry, no hint of amusement at all. She laughed, then coughed, reaching up to brush away spittle from her chin. "What can you do? You can leave. You can go far away from here and never return. You have what you want, spoke with Jinan-sensei. There's nothing else for you here but long-kept hatred, dark secrets." The way she spoke was almost grandiose in delivery, like she was practicing a Shakespearean tragedy.

Frowning, I stood up, took the chair in hand, then pulled it closer to the foot of Tohno-san's bed, spinning it around so I could sit on it backwards. I leaned forward onto both arms, like I could glare down her distancing speech. "Let's just take that in the same order. I don't particularly like running from something, if I hadn't already made that clear. If running accomplishes something, sure, but not when staying is going to open up options, even if they're bleak and not appealing." Like facing aforementioned might of the King of Heroes, someone even Saber had stated she could not hope to match.

Tohno-san shrugged, neither confirming nor denying my statement. I wondered, briefly, what she really thought of me, if I really was as foolish in her mind's eye as I probably came across.

"So, hatred. Kohaku explained it to me, and really, the one thing that sits on my mind is why. For her, it was why she did it. For _you_," I leaned forward on the chair, tipping it onto two legs, "the question is, _why __endure __it?_" I thought of the talks we had late at night, of the interactions between Tohno-san and Kohaku, and my mind kept finding that same gap. "I know you had to know, had to be aware, yet you kept up the façade. You didn't even move to stop her. So, why endure the hatred?"

As if against her will, Tohno-san opened her mouth and said, "It's complicated."

I snorted. "It usually is."

She finally turned a scathing glare my way, though my own look seemed to diffuse the anger somewhat. "A lot of reasons. But the way you're prying…it seems to me like you already know at least one."

I nodded, slowly, my eyes never leaving hers. It didn't take a genius to figure out that, despite all of this, she seemed to _like_ Kohaku, seemed to be very close to the maid. Their closeness implied this odd sense that whatever it was Kohaku was trying to do, it was not seen as a betrayal to their relationship, strangely. "You don't want to hurt her, just like she doesn't want to hurt you."

It was an extremely oversimplified explanation, one that probably had caveats to every part, but it seemed to suffice. Tohno-san gave a faint tilt of her head in agreement, one I'm not sure even she noticed that she made.

Everything Kohaku had said just before told me that too. Fine. That wasn't really the issue, especially since Kohaku seemed to, at least for now, be beyond it. "Then secrets. It isn't like I'm anyone to talk, though you already know that much. You're…not entirely human, are you?"

"No." She flicked at her hair, still hazy with moving color. "I'm not."

Her tone made me think she still wanted to convince me that she was some kind of danger I ought to be running from, screaming my head off. Honestly, I still felt more scared by Tohsaka when she gave me those creepy grins. "I don't quite see the problem."

Her eyes gave me a dull expression, confirming that right now, at least, I was certainly as foolish to her as I imagined I came across. "That better not be a joke."

"I wasn't being facetious. I mean, I get why you're dangerous, but you seem to be in full control now."

She sighed, long and hard, once again bitter in tone. "It's only a matter of time, now, though. Once it comes to this point, the moment I have lost control even once, it is too late. It is a threshold that I no longer have, to stay human." She sneered, and though I had seen a similar expression before, it took on a more feral, a more predatory look now.

"What set it off, then? If we can change that—"

Her eyes flashed, almost with the same inhuman glow as her hair, and I felt that warmth grow in the air, though not as suddenly or powerfully as before. "No," she growled, "there isn't anything you can do. It has nothing to do with me, is something completely out of my control."

She had said _it__ is__ not__ every__ day__ that __you __will __get__ a__ man__ to__ do__ his__ duties._ That seemed to have been the start, and I recalled her lashing out because of her brother.

Kohaku said she wanted to drag the brother into this, get Tohno-san to contact him. Tohno-san had endured instead, alone, but I wonder if there wasn't a feeling of bitterness on her part about having to do so. Certainly, I knew that well, that both Shinji and Sakura had harbored resentment at each other for various reasons, though that was a much different situation.

On the other hand, Illya had been bitter over Kiritsugu's apparent abandonment of her, which did seem to fit more in line with this. I shivered a little at the comparison, wishing I'd had more time with her on the matter. She hated our dad for not being there for her, even if he'd tried to reach out to her, and I'd hazard the guess that he wouldn't blame her for any of it. I couldn't even be there for her, in the end, and instead, she had been the one to look after me in so many ways…

Though she had done so, smiling. I always wondered if she had been concealing something behind that all, but…

"Do you want me to go drag your brother back here? Now that Kohaku isn't going to be pulling anything?" I asked, quietly.

Tohno-san's expression fell from the wrathful demon to the humiliated little sister. "No. I don't…I don't want him to see me like this, and I don't want him around when I could snap. That…happened once before, with someone else, and it…wasn't a good day."

I see. That made sense, then, at least, the idea that she was trying to protect him. Kohaku's poisoning, her own heritage.

Though…

"No, he doesn't know about this," Tohno-san said, as if reading my mind. "And if you think he should know, I'd rather you just kill me right here and now."

"Fine, fine, fine," I said, waving my hand at her like I could bat down her idea. I sighed. "Listen, I'll go talk to Jinan-sensei about this. He's…well, you probably already know, but I think he'd have a few things that he could do for you. We can take this one step at a time, alright?"

She sighed, heavily, once more, though some of the bitterness had left and was replaced by exasperation. "'We'?"

Maybe it was presumptuous, but, well, I thought I'd earned this much at least. What with the whole almost-getting-burnt-to-a-crisp thing. "Yes, 'we.' If you have a problem with that, I'd be happy to demonstrate my ability to knock you out again."

"I think I'll pass."

I nodded. "Good. I don't particularly like fighting girls."

"That'll probably get you into trouble one day." She watched me silently as I replaced her chair back to the vanity, but seemed to win out on the point that must have been bothering her since regaining her senses. "You really are…in possession of something powerful, aren't you?"

I resisted the urge to fiddle with the keychain again, as was turning into habit. "I guess."

"If…I lose it again, can you make sure to take care of them? Kohaku and Hisui, I mean."

"Yeah." I tried to put strength into my words, but the idea itself just felt defeatist. "Maybe I'll open a restaurant or something, unleash Kohaku onto the rest of the world."

"That might be funny."

"Get some rest, Tohno-san. I'll bring Jinan-sensei soon."

Her voice fell such that I had to strain to hear her, turned to find her looking out the window again. "Akiha. Call me Akiha."

I nodded, though she wasn't looking. "Akiha."

There was an unspoken sort of request in that, in all of her requests that I could feel were the true message beneath it all: she wanted to know whether I was capable of stopping her. And while I was, while, if the time came, I had to, I would…

Akiha.

Autumn leaves, it isn't winter just yet.

* * *

><p>The house was silent when I left her room, so I went to check up on the property destruction active magi often found themselves engaging in. Though hardly a few hours since the fight, Hisui apparently was so handy with household repairs that the pipe I had damaged was now redirected and the girl already had a temporary patch in place with a single small hole by which she could replace insulation with in time. I could not help but structurally analyze the work in my head—it really was just reflex at this point—and shake my head at the girl's efficiency.<p>

"Don't worry," Kohaku said as she spotted my approach, "I'm pretty sure it's all coming out of my pay."

The humor clearly didn't have the same bite as before; Kohaku sounded out of it herself, the joke a mere reflex. I guess that made us alike, so involved in our habits. "I'm pretty sure some wall and plumbing damage is the least of your concerns."

Kohaku looked at me carefully, her eyebrows dipping in what might have been the first truly worried look I had ever seen.

"I'd imagine the medical bills you'll be getting from Akiha are going to be even more atrocious," I said.

The concerned look in her eyes did not fade, and a part of me was upset by that. I think anyone else would have been prepared for me to stab them in retribution for their actions now that I had a chance to talk to the victim, but Kohaku actually seemed more upset that such a thing would not happen. "Yeah, there goes my retirement," she said with a weak smile.

"Where's Hisui?"

"Calling Jinan-sensei." Kohaku leaned forward in that very femininely-demure way, her hands behind her back but her head cocked to look up at me. "I figured that was what you would decide on first."

"Yeah."

We stood there in awkward silence for a moment, staring blankly at the repaired wall, and I could make out the murmur of Hisui on the phone in another room. Part of me wanted to reach out and put my arm around Kohaku's shoulders, try to express some kind of comfort to her, but I had the feeling that such a touch would not be appreciated at the moment. I think part of her wanted to feel this discord, like a troubled child that wanted to know their parents cared enough to punish them in some form. Well, I mean, in hindsight, anyway, kids didn't _want_ to be punished on the surface.

"Maybe, when this is all sorted out," I said, "all three of you can come visit me in Fuyuki. I think you all could use a change of scenery, if nothing more than for a short vacation."

"And meet your girlfriend, Rin Tohsaka?"

I rolled my eyes. "I told you, she isn't my girlfriend."

"Tsundere."

I slapped the girl upside the head, managed to get a larger smile to break out onto her face. "Boke."

She sighed. "That might be nice, though. Maybe it is a good idea." She turned to the kitchen. "Akiha-sama is probably…well, you're all probably hungry, so I ought to get something made." She reached into her kimono sleeve, withdrew something, then presented it to me. "Here."

I stared down at it. It was a medicine canister, not quite fist-sized, and unlabeled. I blinked at it, then to Kohaku. "Um?"

"I wasn't feeling well earlier because you surprised me yesterday, you know." She motioned to the container, then pressed it into my hands. "I think I might've accidentally inhaled some. I had a bit of trouble breathing last night. Karma, I guess."

"You shouldn't play with dangerous things," I said.

"Yeah." She nodded, once, as if affirming something was no longer her responsibility. "Anyway, you might go see if Akiha-sama is hungry. I'll make us all something to tide us over for the dinner I know you're already planning."

I grinned. "That obvious?"

"That obvious."

* * *

><p>Before I did anything else, I stepped out the back of the house, held the canister of lye in one hand. With the other, I brought to mind the golden sword once again.<p>

"Quite possibly the smallest enemy you'll ever vanquish," I said, shaking my head.

A toss into the air, a single word, and a bright light lit the skies behind the Tohno mansion.

* * *

><p>I caught Hisui on the way back to Akiha's room, the maid apparently taking her repair equipment back to storage. "I'm going to go see if Akiha feels up to moving so we can get something proper to eat. I might need your help, since I dunno if she'd appreciate me manhandling her when she isn't drunk?"<p>

Hisui gave me a strange look. "So you manhandled Akiha-sama when she was drunk?"

Er…that didn't come out right. "Just…come on."

The maid did as instructed, though I could not help but think she was staring at me with a suspicious eye now. I wanted to try and point out what had happened to her, but then I remembered that Hisui completely passed out that night and would remember absolutely nothing to corroborate my actions. And I doubted I could get much help from Kohaku this time.

I knocked once to re-announce my presence, in case Akiha decided she was going to change clothes again. After a moment, I opened the door—

Beyond, the window was open, the curtains fluttering lightly from the pressure change following me in. And Akiha was nowhere to be found.

* * *

><p>Origami Blades: Crimson Lycoris, End<p>

* * *

><p>Again, a reminder: the boke is a "funnyman" in a tsukkomi-boke manzai comedy team.<p> 


	22. OB Chapter 8: Purple Primrose

Fate/Far Side: Origami Blades

Chapter 8

Purple Primrose

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><p>"No, I do not believe there is anything you can do for her," Jinan-sensei said.<p>

I was really starting to hate hearing people say that.

When it was clear that Akiha had in fact completely fled, I was ready to chase after her. But I didn't know Misaki City that well, had no clue where Akiha would go, and as I had stopped to consider the options Jinan-sensei had shown up. The composed way he seemed to react to it all almost pissed me off.

Not that getting angry helped things, but…

"If she has already lost control," the doctor continued, "it will be a losing battle from here on. If she had everything she needed, it would not be so, however…"

"Everything she needed?" I asked.

Jinan-sensei sighed. He set down the bag he brought with him, hung it on the staircase railing. "Emiya-san, I understand that your father once saved you from death."

I was wondering if we would be coming to this. It was hard to know exactly how much this man knew. If he was the type that Kiritsugu went to on something relating to magecraft, and if he understood things about Akiha's ancestry, he could probably figure out quite a bit, put the pieces together. "He tell you that?"

"An educated guess, based on things he has said and things you have said." The man played with his mustache. "Have you ever thought of how close you were to death, when he saved you?"

"Not really." And it was true. Even now, so many years later, it still felt like I had died, like my life had started over from that point on. I never really thought of it as how close I had come to dying…it was always how wrong it was to even still be alive in the first place, when everyone else didn't make it.

"Have you ever thought of how, had he not saved you, his own life might have been spared?"

I shook my head. That, for sure, was something I knew to be wrong. Even if he had kept Avalon himself, it would not have done anything for him—that look, his smile when he found me, it told me everything on that front. Had he not found somebody to save, it would have destroyed him even more than death could have. I think, to someone like Kiritsugu, there were far more terrifying things than a simple end.

Jinan-sensei was looking up in the direction of Akiha's room. "Maybe then, you might have what is necessary to help her pass in peace, perhaps. But Emiya-san, you must understand. Akiha-san has lived close to death for much of her life, not just in family that has passed on but in herself as well. She has sacrificed much for others and has nothing to show for it but this descent—and if she is not stopped soon, she may resort to forcibly _taking_ from others instead."

"That strange power," I said.

"Yes. Her ancestors have the ability to…well, one might compare it to a parasite. The Tohno line feeds off of others in a variety of ways, ways that are too dangerous for the average person to confront."

"I get that." The way my body would feel cold, but the thing piercing me would feel hot, like it was sucking all of the heat from my body. "What is it that she would need, to have full control again?"

"Something lost a while ago, destroyed utterly," Jinan-sensei said. "There is no answer there. It is gone. So you must think of the future, of the kind of monster she will become, if you must think of anything."

_Understand __that__ sacrifice_, the knight in red had told me. What I carried with me, what had brought me to this place.

Maybe I shouldn't have gotten so angry with her over doing things alone. If she's lost things and had to live with that, someone like me, who barely registers having anything to begin with probably can't fully understand her. Maybe it was too arrogant of me to try and talk down to her like that.

"What is it she lost?" I asked, quietly.

"You might as well say, she lost her life a decade ago, giving her brother a future at the expense of her own."

* * *

><p>Misaki was not a large city, but it was one full of nooks and crannies.<p>

My initial plan had been to survey the city from atop the taller buildings in town, something Tohsaka had mentioned she and Archer had done once upon a time. The fact that I would have to emulate him again galled me, but for everything that bothered me about his view on my dreams, he was everything I could hope to be in many ways.

I ended up on the roof of a hotel, Reinforced my eyes to take a look around. In the time since the Grail War, I had managed to—with some help—perfected using the spell on that one sense. From my vantage point, I could make out the features of people walking about the streets, their hair color, estimated height, things like that. Even with the errant car that drove by, I could usually make out the general features of passengers within.

But none of that led to Akiha and her very distinctive hair.

Part of it just came from the layout of the city. Downtown Fuyuki, for instance, was fairly straightforward and wide—even alleyways were pretty spacious and generally clean since Raiga liked to keep an orderly neighborhood. Misaki, on the other hand, seemed much more used, not quite run-down but not exactly pretty everywhere. It also didn't have the clear divisional organization, so everything was a little busier, a little more clustered. I couldn't even begin to figure out the residential districts that surrounded the downtown heart—though thankfully it sounded like Akiha had no reason to go anywhere out there.

While I couldn't find her immediately, it did give me something to work from, as I could map out a large portion of the city in my head and use that as a guide. Unfortunately, it was already getting late and the thought of Akiha out there, alone, afraid and possibly losing control grew in my mind's eye. If she really did start hurting others because of all of this, forget what I thought about death and pain, whether she could come back or not might be irrelevant if it transformed her _mind_. Blood-sucking demons often had much more animalistic traits from what I understood just by the very nature of what they had to do to survive—though Akiha was consuming something else, I could only think that it must be similar psychologically.

With no other options presenting themselves, I started systematically from the opposite side of the city, taking main roads and peering down in between buildings and into alleyways I could not see from the hotel. I felt that if she were to be hiding someplace, it would be away from prying eyes but still, possibly, within reach of humanity—trying to keep herself under control, unable to resist the urges her body was giving her.

But besides the occasional drunkard, the random homeless person…nothing.

At two in the morning of the next day, I took a little while at a bus stop to rest, falling into a half-sleep, half-zoned trance, something I was sadly very used to doing in the immediate aftermath of the Grail War. Then, it was just a punch-drunk sort of state from everything that had happened, my mind still trying to process the prior two weeks and failing miserably.

Now though, I found myself clutching the keychain, drawing the energy I needed from it. Every once in a while I would find myself doing so to travel further and keep awake longer, my mind wandering off to faraway thoughts and my feet taking me in some random direction in the process. I wondered if Saber, in her time as a King, had slept at all on the eve of battle, or if during a crisis had used the power in her to just stay awake the entire time, ready for anything.

Once again, I would be borrowing that power.

* * *

><p>I briefly stopped at a convenience store to grab something to eat at seven in the morning, having worked my way completely through three distinctive areas of the city, working my way through the fourth, now a lot closer to the hotel I had started from. I also briefly called the Tohno mansion to confirm that I was alive and find out that Akiha had not in fact returned. Jinan-sensei had decided to stay with the maids until we learned what had happened, which relieved me somewhat: if Akiha did lose control and returned home, I had a feeling that the doctor would find a way to get the sisters out safely.<p>

With every area that I explored, though, I started to feel more and more anxious. That there was no sign of Akiha _whatsoever_ made me consider that she might have fled into the wilderness, which brought an entirely different set of problems to mind. While it would mean an easier use of magic to contain her, it also would be even more difficult to track her. Too, if I had learned anything, it was that things such as demonic energy attracted other kinds of threats, other antagonistic creatures and spirits. Such spirits converged easier where nobody was looking.

In this world, I'd learned that if a tree falls out in the forest and nobody was around to hear it, it was probably caused by something ripped out of a child's nightmares.

* * *

><p>Another full day, and I still had nothing.<p>

I'd made it back to the center of the city, past the hotel—meaning I was roughly halfway done. Now I was wondering if Akiha didn't have some sort of specific place she had hidden, some kind of thought process I just didn't have the information to follow or track completely.

It was not quite midnight when I settled into another bus stop, tried to clear my head and concentrate. Drawing energy like I had made my body feel fine, but my mind would still feel like a jumble of useless facts, almost like a computer with an overloaded cache.

I leaned back in place, crossing my arms and trying to put myself in Akiha's shoes. Afraid. Angry. Feeling abandoned, maybe betrayed. Not suicidal, but not capable of facing the overwhelming sense that fate had it out for you. Both empowered and yet deprived of control.

My thoughts inevitably went to a girl that would claim she was my sister, that my side of the family had in fact abandoned her. She, too, destroyed by the hand dealt to her, nothing in me capable of having protected her from a cruel existence. Destroyed so I could live.

_Understand__ that __sacrifice_. I was such a bad learner, though, it had taken even more sacrifices to get it completely.

"Mister?"

My eyes flew open to greet a flashlight pointed at them—a police officer standing over me. I blinked away at the spots that formed in my eyes. "I'm awake, no need to flash that at me."

The officer lowered the light, looked down at me with a frown. "The buses do not run at this hour. If you need a place to stay, you must find a hotel."

"I was just wandering, thinking," I said, sitting up and glancing at the time flashing from one of the marquis down the street. Twenty minutes since sitting down, only just past midnight.

"Then please be on your way," the officer said. "There was a report of an attack nearby, so please return indoors if you have no further business about town."

An attack. So that's why he's out patrolling. Often police might not bother with people sleeping at a bus stop or whatnot, usually focusing on belligerents and other issues. And I guess I didn't look like the type to _be_ an attacker; in fact, I could imagine Tohsaka laughing at the very thought of me being put in a lineup. Anyway. "Where was this? What happened?"

"In the park down the way," he said, flashing his light down in one direction I had not explored yet. "An assault on a young couple. Nobody was gravely injured, but I would err on the side of caution."

"I see. Thank you for the warning," I said, bowing and brushed myself off, before heading in the opposite direction.

When I got to a cross-street, I headed down one direction, making sure to place buildings between me and where the officer resumed his patrol. After I made sure I was out of sight, I took off full-tilt toward the park, something about that description sounding just about what I was looking for.

The park was fairly large and probably looked quite nice otherwise, though the winter months had stripped all of the deciduous trees of course. Blooms were just starting, so everything still looked stark and harsh, and the way the branches loomed and casted serpentine shadows from the street lamps scattered about, it looked vaguely reminiscent of things I would rather not think of.

"Akiha!" I shouted, "I know you're here!"

Which was a lie, but…

That same feeling as before, a sense like there was something stinging my body happened, and the warmth hanging around my neck felt like it grew, as if Saber could reach out with her own senses. Still, it wasn't something I could completely follow, just vague feelings, and Akiha's Origami, from what Jinan-sensei described, could attack me so long as she could see me. It was invisible when it was not actually plundering heat from something.

But the time from before had given me an idea.

"_Slash the heavens with your wings, imitation sword of storms Totsuka."_

The sword that formed in my hands was longer than I was tall, shaped generally similar to Kusanagi in a Chinese fashion. I poured prana into it until it broke, then heaved it into the air.

I'm pretty sure that if any magi were around, they would come to kick my ass right about now.

Further than my throw could ever have taken it, the sword swooped up into the sky, winds swirling around it. Unlike Kusanagi, the winds were not directional, instead forming a storm cloud around the blade like a dark flower blooming in the air. The anvil-like appearance of a thunderstorm converged within the sky, like the gods had been summoned to bring an anvil to hammer down the blade flying to them.

The sword of Susanoo exploded like a lightning flash, and with it, the pressure change in the air shifted, and rain started to fall.

Beyond the tapping of water on the walkway, I could make out hissing beyond the shrubs in one direction, like dumping liquid into a heated pan. I grinned, but before I could make my way there, the hissing shot out at me, and like before, tendril-like things charged in for me.

"_Trace, on!"_

I brought blades down again, tried to cage them down on this strange power, but out in the open like this, it proved much more futile as the hissing things wove in and through each cluster of blades. Gritting my teeth, I formed a barrier wall between us, layering in rows of blades to completely obscure myself from sight.

"Akiha, come out! I'll find a way to help you!" I shouted.

The hissing did in fact come closer, the brief sound of sudden flame sounding, then more sizzling. I dared to peek out to one side of the blade-wall I made, and there she stood, scorched and sizzling bushes directly behind her. "Get lost," she said, her voice almost as deep as mine.

"You know I can't do that," I said.

Another tendril shot out toward me, the rain sizzling in the air my only visual cue. I darted back behind the wall of blades, only to scramble even further when the furthest weapon at the end suddenly sparked, lit up, then crumbled away like ash.

Well…damn.

"I've already hurt two people," she said, her tone shifting. It was now like she were reciting facts, annoying facts, like getting a bad grade and having to tell one's family about it. "Just because they irritated me, even."

"Couples can get irritating," I said, moving even as I did so. If she could attack me based on where she heard me…

"Do you know what this place is? This park? He hides it well, but nii-san met with someone here. The one he's out with now."

So…that's the connection I was missing. It would _really_ have been nice to know these things ahead of time.

"He met her here to do her dirty work, came here to fight someone. I remember that night well…the pounding of his heart, the pumping of his veins. He was scared at first, absolutely terrified. But he eventually came through, helped her with killing something. Not even thinking once of how hard it was on me."

Three more blades at the same end of the row combusted, then scorched into ash. I briefly considered Avalon, but there was no way I could continue communicating with Akiha through it—complete isolation was a double-edged sword.

I brought more blades down even as I moved laterally along the previous wall, forming a T-shaped juncture and putting another barrier between Akiha and myself. I wished that I could form stronger blades, but all of the ones that were tall and thick had no special properties against this kind of attack.

Pulling the petal-shield from my mind, I held it out with one hand, waiting for the moment I could see another attack coming. I only hoped that the rain would continue coming down—the Totsuka was powerful, but doing something like causing a rainstorm that was not naturally occurring gave it the properties like a Reality Marble. The world would crush the inconsistency eventually.

"I'm just like a tool, something useful and discarded," Akiha said, her voice rising in pitch. "Something invisible until you realize it's no longer there when you need it." She laughed, loudly, a bitter edge finally taking hold. "I guess I'm no different from Kohaku, in the end, am I?"

"Neither of you are tools," I said, readying myself. Blades were evaporating left and right now, and her Origami power seemed aptly named—it was like everything burnt up like how hair was entirely too flammable. "Take it from someone whose only desire is to be a useful tool."

"Then learn to be discarded," Akiha's voice crept up from behind me.

I spun as fast as possible, ready for such a turnaround—it would have been an extremely stupid death if I thought she couldn't just come around the other way. Rho Aias was between us faster than her power could move, and they slammed into the shield, flames licking around the edges.

"Not enough," she said. "It is called a cage for a reason."

Even as tendrils ripped into the petal shield, heat lanced into me from behind, and I cursed in pain even as I realized what was going on. Rho Aias' protection was technically directional, though from anywhere I recognized as "the front" would be protected since it was more like a bounded field than a physical item. But Akiha must have been using the torched blades as a distraction, the lines of her power hiding beyond the sudden steam caused by the swords combusting. If she could still keep them there, circle around and then let them strike when I was facing her—

"Even I can't see it," Akiha said, her voice falling as she stared at me through the shield's pinkish transparency. "I can't fully control it. This is your last warning. _Go__ away_."

One of the tendrils pierced my back, just above my kidneys, while another struck like a whip, scorching me with that same burning heat that had destroyed my swords. Compelling me to flee, promising even more painful punishment if I stayed. I felt my shirt tear and the muscles in my back seize, and even as the burns were healed, more appeared to lash me with pain. At the same time, two of the petals of Rho Aias shattered, and I groaned.

Yet she claims she can't fully control it…

No, that wasn't true. "You're wrong, Akiha. You're not a tool, and you're not going to be discarded. Just like you _can_ control this." I gave her a smile. "I'll show you what you can do. Give me everything, Akiha. I'll shoulder it all. _I__ am__ the __bone __of__ my__ sword.__"_

I waited for the next strike, reached back and grabbed hold. My skin started to sizzle off immediately, like grabbing a hot iron rod. At that Akiha seemed to pause, like she was unsure whether to withdraw the attack or press in further, and I grinned despite the pain.

I gave her the chance, dismissed Rho Aias. The tendrils of her power shot in at me, struck me from every side. But each one seemed reluctant, only dug into my body faintly, less than before, something that if I pulled away, I could escape from, like a shallow cut. I continued my aria, looking her in the eyes the entire time, watching her eyes grow wide—she could stop me at any time, pierce my throat to halt my words.

But she didn't.

* * *

><p>"<em>Steel is my body and fire is my blood.<em>

_I have created over a thousand blades._

_Unaware of loss, nor aware of gain._

_Withstood pain to create many weapons._

_Yet these hands may never hold anything._

_I have no regrets, this is the only path._

_My whole life has been: Unlimited Blade Works."_

* * *

><p>My flames consumed hers.<p>

Blades grew from the ground as the sky fell away, replaced by distant light. Blades caged her as she caged me.

At that, I did pull away, tearing out of her power's grasp and rolling back until I had some distance on her. I grabbed hold of one sword, pulled myself up straight with it as my crutch, laughed to myself when I realized it was Excalibur. "Sorry, Akiha, but now I literally _can__'__t_ leave."

"What is this place?" she growled, looking around. Her hair danced about her head, waving like a nonexistent breeze moved through it, and for the first time in this place I felt heat and fire, felt what ought to be in a world born out of fire.

"This place is me," I said. "I told you that I'm the mere tool, a weapon, nothing else. Everything here is worth discarding, worth ignoring. Worth _nothing_." I brushed my hand along Excalibur's pommel, along the golden cap at its crown. "Even if it's a perfect replication, it isn't the original. All of this, here, worth getting rid of. Not like you."

She stared at me then, long and hard, trying to add up what I was saying. A blade to one side surrendered to flames, burning up and turning to dust, as if to punctuate my point.

"I told Kohaku I would bet my life on this," I said softly.

Akiha kicked at the dirt beneath her feet, stomping down on the dust that flew into the air. "You think I _won__'__t_ kill you?"

"No, Akiha," I said, plucking another sword from the ground. The air around me started to thicken with heat, and a wide swing over my shoulder with the blade at hand tore the weapon from my grip, scorching the air as the blade caught aflame. I looked up at where Origami had taken the blade, then grabbed another, readying myself. "I think you _can__'__t_."

* * *

><p>Origami Blades: Purple Primrose, End<p>

* * *

><p>As Fuyuki is based on Kobe, Japan, it isn't a stretch to imagine that Raiga Fujimura, cited as a yakuza leader, might actually be the stand-in equivalent to the Yamaguchigumi leader.<p>

No, not that kind of Origami. 檻髪 means "cage hair." Basically, for those unfamiliar with Tsuki, she has invisible hair that can strike within line-of-sight and plunder heat from a target. Like vectors in _Elfen __Lied_, only less bloody and more fiery.

Yes, I am aware the aria is mixed up. There's a reason for that.


	23. OB Chapter 9: Red Azalea

Fate/Far Side: Origami Blades

Chapter 9

Red Azalea

* * *

><p>I couldn't see her power, but she couldn't see an end to mine.<p>

Impasse.

It was not something I would normally do, or even consider doing against a true enemy. If I played defensive, there would be no end to how much I could _protect_ myself.

Against Gilgamesh and his constantly-firing Phantasm, I had to put him on the back foot to ever have stood a chance. I had to fire blades at him, faster than he could, before he could. On foot, he possessed swords; I had to let the swords possess me. To win had meant to press the attack.

But to Akiha…

I swirled the blades around my body, a maelstrom with myself at the center. I held them in the air vertically, points down, one set circling clockwise, another set counterclockwise, each row overlapping the last. It was stupid, but if Akiha's Origami was like dangerous hair, then the first thing I thought of was a razor to trim it down.

Though I couldn't see it directly, I could feel the approach, like smelling an imminent rainstorm in the air. The heat would attempt to weave through the blades, only to be scissor between them, cutting the power off. Blades in turn would seize up and ignite, turn to ash, and I would have to pull another from the ground, weave it into the mix. No matter how far her attacks could make it, they would inevitably run up against a sword in turn, consuming the weapon or being driven back by the occasional anti-demonic weapon.

And while it was true what I had said, that she could no longer harm me, there was of course the opposing truth: I would not harm her.

How did you win a battle where defeat was not even the goal?

"If you won't go away, I'll _make_ you go away!" Akiha screamed at me.

The heat in the air increased to the point that I started to sweat and the number of blades igniting jumped from two or three at a time to at least a dozen. I had to start a third and forth wall of moving blades to keep pace, moved myself around Akiha in a circle to try and keep the attacks coming from one direction.

Still, I wasn't buying it.

If she wanted me dead, truly wanted me dead, I had to imagine there would be more. My control over Unlimited Blade Works was still not perfect, and this whole idea of a shield of tornado-spinning blades was new and untested.

And, having run up against beings significantly more powerful than I am and _feeling_ their desire to have my head…maybe I was just too experienced. This didn't fill me with the same sort of dread Berserker or Assassin or Gilgamesh brought to the table.

With each blade that ignited, I started counting and timing the strikes. There was an intuitive rhythm to it that reminded me a lot of breathing exercises magi tended to favor early on when practicing with their circuit. It came in waves, barely perceptible, though with each strike there seemed to be a temporary withdraw before pressing in again, like the surf coming in at high tide.

I only hoped I wasn't about to get caught in the undertow.

I picked up two swords, held them ready, and with the next withdraw of energy opened a gap in my protection. I threw one blade end-over-end, quickly slamming the "door" shut again when Origami ought to be coming my way—

The blade flew for her face, but she neither flinched nor struck it, as if accepting her fate. But just before it would slice into her body, it veered off sharply like a boomerang and started a long arc back toward me, the Bakuya in my hands drawing the Kanshou back to its twin.

That was wrong.

Her eyes hadn't widened, her body hadn't seized up or fled in any fashion. I think…

I had told Kohaku that I would bet my life on this.

After the next set of blades had been plundered, I swept one arm through the air, picked up Excalibur with the other. The razor wall flew aside, embedded the blades all back into the earth. Akiha stared at me, her eyes narrowing, unsure of what I had planned.

"I'm onto you," I said, leveling the blade at my side. "And I know what this is going to come to."

"You're delusional," she said.

My toes curling in my shoes, I took a deep breath, then charged down the centerline toward her.

I felt the heat swirl around me, ready to strike, but with each footstep it hesitated for a moment, lashing out a fraction of a second too late, flying past my ears or into the space I had just been. I felt it singe the tips of my hair and the fringes of my shirt, felt it try to warp Excalibur but only get singed in turn—

Her eyes closed the moment I got into striking range.

I took two more steps, and dropped the blade in hand before crashing headlong into her.

Unlike before, she gave a knee-jerk reaction, her eyes flying back open and her arms flailing about in a panic. Once more, I felt that stinging heat move around me, but once more it absolutely refused to go for a killing blow—

But her eyes fell to where warmth was between us, hanging from my neck.

And she plundered the only other heat source she could find.

* * *

><p><em>This was not like plundering anything else.<em>

_It was like she was naked in the middle of the Antarctic and plunged her hands into the heat of a molten furnace. It tore right into her, so fast and blindingly intense that there was no ability to scream, no sensation to the damage. The fire simply destroyed every nerve in her body, every muscle, every sense of sense in an instant—_

* * *

><p><em>She wasn't even sure if it was real. But she felt suddenly dreamlike, distant, not quite attached to her own body.<em>

_It was not like going to a different place, being transported to another world. It was not like how Shirou had dismissed the real world for his own, replaced the landscape with something else entirely. The dusty earth still remained, the blades still lay about, the sky was still a reddish hue._

_Akiha knew little about magic, other than it worked on a principle of manipulating reality. She knew that this spell, whatever it was, was in absolute defiance of what should be, that the moment he passed out it should no longer continue to thrive. Without a magician's gaze it would die, like a film without a director's instincts or a cinematographer's awareness—a viewer would see through the falsehoods and their disbelief would no longer be suspended._

_But the world did not fade; neither the terrible ground nor the beautiful horizon disappeared. As the fires within her quelled and quieted, the air continued to tingle with heat, though Akiha felt as if this were in reverse: like she was no longer plundering the air about her, but sufficing it with her presence._

_She no longer felt so cold, nor the sudden heat when he had grabbed her. Instead, she felt the warmth like standing before an open stove, pleasant and comforting._

_Cradling Shirou's head in her lap, she desperately wanted him to wake, but knew somehow that he would not until she fully understood this. Like a lucid dream, knowing she was asleep but unable to wake until the dream was completed._

_She wasn't sure whether this was the dream, or the nightmare, though._

_She knew, intuitively, what had just happened, or at least she thought she did. She just had no idea what was supposed to happen now, though—_

_Now that she had taken a life._

"_What did he lose to save me?"_

_She asked the world around her—his world, the world of his reality. His everything was here, even if it was an illusion, a fakery…_

_The answer seemed to come from within, from a spot deep in her chest, past everything physical, yet still with discernible direction. It was warm, warm like an iron stove, but without the stinging heat like she felt in the air with her power. "Nothing, Akiha Tohno. Nothing at all. Because, so long as you remember, he will always have it with him. You heard him say it, right? He is unaware of loss, of gain."_

_She had taken a life, and it now resided within her, like another beating heart to the two already there._

_She had taken the one he had relied upon to live._

_It had not escaped her that it could be the other way around._

_If someone had taken Shiki's life, it would have stolen what she relied on to get through the day._

_Had her life been taken, even if he wasn't here, she knew it would have killed something inside of him too._

"_That can't be true," she whispered, desperate for Shirou's feelings to be false as well._

_The voice within was warm, warm like those days playing with her brothers and Hisui, warm like something she could never know anymore, buried with the flow of time. It was warm, and it was that warmth that she understood to be the stove that kept her warm now, kept her content._

"_His dream…is an impossible one. Unattainable. Unreachable." The sense of a smile, like feeding the fire within the stove, pushing even more heat out into the air. "So he will need you. He will need you if he is to pursue it. If he is going to continue to thrive."_

_Akiha wrapped her arms about herself, her body shaking as if cold despite the warmth of this place. She wanted—_

_Wanted…_

_Wanted that._

He will need you.

"_Need__…__me,__" __she__ whispered._ "Me."

"_Yes." a feeling like laughter came over her, deep in her chest, like one might feel from a memory, far away and nostalgic, of siblings taking hands and basking in the sunlight, lazing about without a care in the world. "He wants to save others. He feels he has never done so before this, even if I could tell him otherwise. So, I would make one request of you: be saved. Accept that you have been. He needs that more than anything now."_

_Her hands touched either sides of his face, her fingertips brushing along his chin. She looked at him, both saddened and elated, and she wasn't sure what she was supposed to say._

"_Then, as you once did for someone else, I now do for you. Fear the beast within no longer, Akiha Tohno. Together, we are greater than it is." Another feeling like laughter came, though this time, it was more like it came truly from within Akiha, from her own thoughts and desires. "And then, perhaps, you can face the beasts outside as well."_

* * *

><p>Her tears woke me.<p>

The sound of sobbing was not something my mind could handle; it fought for consciousness instinctively. Pain and anguish from others was something that would always haunt me, and worked better than smelling salts to make sure I paid attention.

She had me cradled in her lap, her head bent over me, her hair literally caging me now, though I could no longer feel the heated sensation emanating from her. In fact, it now felt like the opposite: my own body felt overloaded and burnt out, and when I reached inward to flick my circuit closed—

I was nearly out of prana.

It had been two years since the last time I felt like that.

And I couldn't reach that ever-burning feeling of Saber's presence any longer.

I blinked past the fuzzy feeling in my head, tried to remember to even breathe. The air felt cool with every inhale, and every exhale felt like I was breathing fire. I wanted to ask whether Akiha was okay, but my throat felt dry and full of cotton.

"You idiot," she said.

Yeah, I get that a lot. I swallowed a couple of times, tried to clear my throat. "You okay?" I managed, though my voice sounded like I had swallowed gravel.

"Idiot, idiot, idiot," she continued on like I hadn't even said anything. "Why couldn't you have just killed me like any normal person would've done?"

So it really was a suicide-by-cop idea that was in her head. And I was the idiot here? "Wanting to die is stupid," I said, my voice slowly starting to clear.

"Then you're stupid."

"I don't _want_ to die. I just don't really think about it. More crazy than stupid."

The look on her face melted away, and even though tears continued to fall, the small smile she gave was wonderful, a fiery seraph staring down at me. "Just…what were you planning, anyway?"

"Nothing, really," I said. The fact was that I didn't think she actually had fully lost control yet, no matter what anyone said. I'd seen too much to think otherwise. "I just…wanted you to see that you could control it."

"But I couldn't," she said, leaning over me until her forehead was to my collar. "I…didn't. You were wrong."

"Then…" I shrugged, "I'm an idiot." I reached up, touched my hand to her cheek, brushing my finger along the edges of an ear, brushing back pulsing red hair. "You're okay now, though, it seems."

"Only because…of her," she whispered.

I sighed. "That idiot, getting ahead of me. She's already saved people, she needs to learn she's way past retirement age."

Akiha shuddered, though whether from laughter or tears I really couldn't tell.

I pulled myself up into a sitting position, looked around. "Well." Unlimited Blade Works still played out before my eyes, and I shook my head. "I guess that'll teach me to use Saber's prana like this." But now, trying to reach down in where the connection we had was, I found that there was not enough to push or pull any longer—I could feel where the contract had been, but it was like an imprint left on a bed or a footprint left in the ground. The signs were there, but nothing else. "Can you dismiss it?"

Akiha stared at me, a flush coming to her face. "Um…no. I don't know how."

I really felt like laughing. Guess nothing ever went completely right when it came to my magic. "That does at least confirm that she's still technically 'alive' if her presence is still feeding the Reality Marble." I went to pull myself up to my feet—

Akiha grabbed my wrist, pulled me back down. "Just…leave it, okay?"

"Er…we really should try and get this sorted out," I said.

"Then sort it out," she replied, pulling me closer. "Isn't the easiest way to fix this is for you to dismiss it?"

"Well, yeah…" I was almost leaning over her now, and the way that she stared up at me made me reconsider earlier, how maybe intrusive I had been to her private space. "But I can't with how things are now."

Red intensified on Akiha's cheeks. "It feels like she's telling me that you need to reestablish the connection."

"Oh?"

"Don't…um, d-don't magi have rituals to do that?"

I nodded. "The Grail one wouldn't work, though, I don't thi—oh."

She stared at me, and I stared back.

"I…uh…I'm sure Saber's magical energy will run out eventually," I said.

Akiha blushed, looking away. "Yeah, I'm sure."

"Not that—! I mean, it isn't like I don't…oh dammit," I groaned. Reaching up, I tilted her head back toward me and kissed her, carefully, just touching my lips to hers, pulling faintly at her lower lip as I withdrew. "I…didn't want to be forceful," I said, even as I inwardly kicked myself. Yes, forceful, idiot. I might've just given her first kiss right now, moron.

But still, I knew that look a little better, knew that she wanted me to want her—once upon a time, it had been like that with Tohsaka, too. "Maybe we're past that now," she said, looking around. It was kind of an inane thing to think about, having just, you know, been flinging magic and swords around.

"You sure?" I asked, though even as I did, I couldn't help but bring my hand down from her cheek, brushing along her neck to the buttons of her blouse. She looked, well, the way she was spread out on the ground like this just kind of screamed _ready__ to __be __ravaged_ and my nerves were already just too hyped up by the fight to think otherwise.

"Only…only if you are," she said, though she had brought her hands up to my waist too, tugging impatiently at the waistband of my jeans.

God this was stupid. I was just about to take a girl—a girl I assumed was a virgin—not amidst a comfortable bed in her home, but on a dirt hill with swords looking all-too phallic now all around us. No matter what, I think I earned a failing grade on romance here.

She succeeded in undoing my pants, blushing as she pushed everything she could get a hold of out of the way, blushing more when I had her shirt unbuttoned and pushed her bra up out of the way. I couldn't help but taste her body, kissing along her collar and swirling my tongue around the tips of her nipples, earning a gasp and a whimper from her in the process.

I hastily reached down, pushed her skirt up and out of the way, my hands gliding over smooth skin, up over the barrier around her hips. Something in me wanted to just eat her up, my teeth briefly biting her and my legs moving up between hers, torn between moving against her now even with clothing still between us or taking one whole second to pull it free of her legs. I couldn't help it and went with the former, my body attempting to push into her even though that important part of her body was still covered.

Akiha moved her hips against the touch, her butt leaving the ground to push up against me. I kept my mouth locked on her chest, though, unable to tear myself away, my tongue continuing to flick against the pinkish tips of her body.

"Fuck it," she groaned, and for a moment she pushed me back with her legs, reaching up herself to pull her panties off; my arms wrapped around her thighs the moment they cleared her body, holding her in place as my cock moved up to where she was wet. I tried to tease her a little, knowing what was probably ahead, though I found myself biting my lip in the agony of holding out from just driving right into her.

She wiggled in place, her toes curling, and I shifted her legs to either side of my body, my hands wrapping around to cup her ass. Her legs locked around me, tightly, as if to pull me in. "Don't think that…um…" I tried to keep my head cool as much as possible, even with this radiant being beneath me, "uh, that I'm doing this just because of the prana connection thing, or like I somehow want to be even with the fact, uh…well, you know, that I—"

Her hand shot up, grabbed me by the collar of my shirt, and hauled me down into a kiss, sudden enough that our teeth briefly clicked together before our lips found the right touch. "Just," she muttered into the kiss, her hands pressing into my shoulders to hold me steady, "shut up and do me or I _will_ kill you this time."

With her legs pulling me in closer, I plunged into her, my lips going to hers when she made to cry out. Holding her to me as tightly as possible, I eased back, then forward again, nipping at her neck with each shudder her body gave.

"Make me feel good," she whimpered into my ear.

I lifted myself back onto my knees, pulling her hips in closer as I moved, one hand circling back around. I forced myself to slow down—as excruciating as that was—my fingers moving just above where we were joined, swirling in circles until Akiha's hips twitched and almost pulled us apart. She sat up with her elbows and I twisted one of her legs around to the same side as the other, making us both groan at the sensation.

Akiha stared down at where our hips met, at my body as it moved into hers, her face starting to match her hair. "Don't stop," she muttered, looking ready to cry, the pain and pleasure overloading her already frazzled nerves. "D-Don't stop!"

I couldn't if I tried, the tight feeling surrounding me too much—if she plundered heat from me in this way, I would just die happy. Each time I pulled away, her body pulled me in, coaxing everything from me, and each time I would thrust in harder, driving myself in as far as possible. She swayed her body side to side as my fingers moved around her, and with one particular flick against her she clamped down on me until I repeated the same motion.

"Shirou…" she whispered.

My eyes flew up to hers, and the look on her face, her mouth open, the heat from her body almost visible in her breath was just too much. I pulsed my body as fast as possible, my free arm encircling her top leg to throttle into her as deeply as I could manage, and the way her body opened up to my fingers let brought a long shudder that started from her head down, her eyes rolling up into the back of her head.

The slick warmth inside of her tightened around me, refused to let go, and I pushed in, as deep as possible, my back going straight as a rod, and I came.

* * *

><p>Somehow, I remembered to check and make sure I could in fact dismiss the Reality Marble when I came to, my body spooned against Akiha. The connection indeed was there, like feeling a separate pulse in my body, and I wondered briefly if transplanting a Magical Crest felt like this.<p>

I decided it really couldn't feel this good.

My lips found the back of Akiha's neck after I brushed her hair aside. "That was amazing," I said, remembering that she had been concerned earlier.

Her words were not what I was expecting in response. "If I get pregnant from this, you'd better take responsibility."

I sat up real fast, stared at the devilish expression on her face. Maybe she mistook her ability to mean "caging heir."

* * *

><p>Origami Blades: Red Azalea, End<p>

* * *

><p>Yeah, so, if I think Akiha has the cutest design in <em>Tsukihime<em>, my favorite CG is actually end-of-route Ciel looking down at Shiki and crying. So, put them together, and what do you get? Fiery seraph. Or something. Also, it kind of mirrors Kiritsugu I think. Maybe.

You have _no_ idea how hard it was not to make a carpet-matching-curtains joke.


	24. OB Epilogue: Vermillion Lotus

AN: I will be out of town for a week, and have some other projects I want to work on, so once again there's gonna be a slightly longer delay between this and the start of _Synchronized__ Body_. Next chapter will _probably_ be out before the end of the month, but no promises.

* * *

><p>FateFar Side: Origami Blades

Epilogue

Vermillion Lotus

* * *

><p>It was a forest that had appeared near the Russian-Estonian border where they had been, of all things, boating along Lake Peipus in relative obscurity.<p>

It was a forest that had _appeared_.

Consuming the town they were due to dock at, Arc had inevitably been drawn to figure out what was going on—especially since it resembled something of her past. Of course, that had also meant visiting this mobile, man-eating forest with trees that wanted to eat mortal flesh.

"That's all just…impossible, agh," Shiki moaned, falling back on his butt. He wiped the sweat beading on his forehead away with his sleeve before replacing his glasses on the bridge of his nose. "There's no end to them!"

Four days later, they were still cutting their way through the growth. Though they had traversed more distance than made up the entire town, they still had not found the center of the forest, and Shiki had the sneaking suspicion that it was moving along with them, right out of some fantasy novel he'd read years before.

"Feh," Arcueid puffed her cheeks, "you didn't have nearly as much trouble with Nero!"

"All of those things came at me at once!" Shiki said. "I can handle that! This thing is endless!"

Indeed, the Forest of Einnashe was more like a swarm than individual creatures, a mass of mortal-consuming monstrous plant-life. Arcueid assured him that it was a singular entity, and if so, Shiki thought it might be comparable to a squid with many, _many_ limbs. And omnidirectional senses. And no discernible anatomy. And all-in-all a pain in the ass.

Arc's pout only increased. "Where's that sexy beast that didn't even flinch when facing Nero? When facing Roa? You're just holding back on purpose."

"Arrrrgg!"

Shiki's frustrated cry seemed to please the whispy trees before them, and one seemed to loom closer, its branches swaying toward him, like a hand reaching out—

Flames suddenly consumed the tree, like a lightning strike from a wayward storm. It tore into the thing with a scream, and the tree itself screamed as if capable of speech, the dying throes of a defeated predator.

Shiki rolled back up to his feet, following Arc's gaze back the way they had come. Trees all around them were now aflame—

Lighting two figures in their midst.

"_I __am __the __bone __of__ my__ sword_."

Rubbing his eyes, Shiki put his glasses back on, sure he was seeing things. But through the magical lenses, even after blinking back the light-spots caused by the sudden flames, what was before him was reality: his sister, and another. "Akiha!" he shouted, his mind overloading with too many questions.

She stepped out into the clearing Shiki and Arc had created a moment before, the dancing flames on the trees surrounding them showing the way. With her, another man, his own eyes peering deeper into the forest despite the bright flames and dark shadows beyond.

"Nii-san," she said. "Glad to see you're still alive."

Her companion continued to speak, his voice echoing through the woods. _"__Steel __is__ my __body__ and__ fire __is __my__ blood.__"_

"How did you find us?" Shiki asked, still staring up at his sister dumbly.

Grinning, Akiha peered further into the forest, then back the way they had come. "You're an idiot. I'll always be able to find you if you're in danger."

"_I have created over a thousand blades."_

Arc was watching Shirou oddly, her head tilted to one side, frowning. "You know that this forest isn't going to let you do magic, right? If you're a magician, you'll find yourself blocked."

"_Unaware of loss, nor aware of gain."_

Akiha smiled as Shirou concentrated on his aria, on the world he was going to deploy. What the blond woman said was right, and it was wrong. Shirou certainly would be blocked, but…

_And then, perhaps, you can face the beasts outside as well._

"Who exactly is that?" Shiki watched the other young man as he continued forward, his gait unchanged even as the trees loomed over him, ready to devour.

"_Withstood pain to create many weapons."_

Akiha said, "He's…my special someone." She paused, trying the words out on her lips. Indeed, they somehow felt holy upon her lips, as if somehow uttering them would evoke a spell of magic like his. They felt foreign to her, still, not something she was used to quite yet.

But…

_He's someone who needs me._

They felt right, even if not yet settled in her head.

"Imouto-chan's boyfriend?" Arc said, tilting her head.

"_Yet these hands may never hold anything."_

Akiha smiled at Arcueid's words, smiled as Shirou's spell rang out. _No,__ Shirou,__ they __do.__ So__ long__ as__ you__ keep__ being__ you__…_

"_I have no regrets, this is the only path."_

She closed her eyes, reached for the warmth within her, outside of her, a part of her yet not. She opened that warmth, felt the prana within roar like a beast, felt it suffice every nerve in her body with heat inescapable. Before, she had contained it, had aimed it at her targets, but now, she let it completely consume her, ignite within her.

"_My whole life has been—"_

The black coloring she kept in her hair burnt away, burnt a fiery red, burnt away her former appearance. Akiha channeled that fire from her other, through the connection her soul now kept with Shirou's—

The Forest of Einnashe was an illusion, only capable of being destroyed by a greater mystery.

No haunted forest could compare to dreams of dragons, and demons, and swords.

"—_Unlimited Blade Works."_

Fire ran about them, around them, and from that fire came the blades it forged.

* * *

><p>Origami Blades, Fin<p> 


	25. SB Chapter 1: Before This

AN: For those that have seen the raw of _Carnival Phantasm _ep 12: Hisui fixing the wall while other stuff is going down in _Origami Blades_, I totally called it, right? Right? I was _early_ to the ruranra!

Sorry for the delay, I just got a new computer and spent a good few days first just transferring stuff from the netbook I was using before, and then have been distracted with other stuff. Like _The Old Republic_. And rereading _Beowulf_ for one of my classes this quarter. And being able to watch HQ anime once more. And original works. And so on. You can probably blame any and all of the above for future slowness.

* * *

><p>FateFar Side: Synchronized Body

Chapter 1

Before This

* * *

><p>It might be nice, however, to get in some kitchen duties before everyone else was awake, just to show my thanks. And, though Kohaku had deterred me from cooking on my own once I'd found a place to settle in yesterday, if I could get to work fast enough…<p>

I went for my clothes, dragging a fresh set out while crossing the hall to the washroom for this wing of the house; everything was absolutely silent at this time of the morning. Kohaku made mention of the sibling pair of Tohnos as being the only family members living in the estate, and that the elder brother was traveling. With Kohaku and her sister Hisui, that made all of three people to run across in a location that, well, felt a little dead otherwise. It reminded me of my own place a bit, back before and right after the Grail War, and the thought was a little disquieting.

I quickly washed my face and got changed, hurrying back to straighten my bed up, then taking off as fast as I could while still being quiet to look for the kitchen. Kohaku struck me as an early-to-rise type, so I wanted to see if I could just absolutely beat her into the kitchen and get started with something so she had no ability to refuse.

The house was silent—a good sign—though it also had a sort of unsettling presence when it was so, not quite haunted mansion but not exactly the most comforting of places. It creaked in all the wrong places and was absolutely still when it should make noise. Sneaking around in it felt doubly troubling, like it was built to hide all the wrong sort of aspects. Completely unlike the Tohsaka or Matou houses, for instance, where the hidden things all felt, well, traditional.

I guess it sounds really stupid when consciously thinking about it.

When I made it to the dining room, the light inside the kitchen was already on. I sighed, shoulders slumped, and defeatedly dragged myself through the doors. Kohaku was indeed inside, though it looked as if she had just started. "Ah, Shirou-san," Kohaku said when she glanced over her shoulder, "you're up much too early!"

I couldn't help the put-out look that formed on my face. "I wanted to try and beat you down here, get some breakfast made for everyone."

Kohaku grinned, somewhat like the superior look she gave me last night over weeding out information on Tohsaka. "I see. Well, you can try your luck some other time, but I warn you, little grasshopper, I shall be prepared. My domain is this kitchen: it is my world!" She paused to wave a finger at me. "You shall not defeat the master."

I sighed again. "Such a hopeless batt—hey, what's that?" I pointed past her shoulder toward the window.

The maid refused to take the bait, her eyes narrowing at me. "Do you think I was born yesterday, Shirou-san? I look away and you steal my skillet."

"I would never stoop so low."

"Then I look away and you club me over the head, shove me into the closet, then have free reign on the kitchen."

"It wouldn't have been the _closet_," I said, holding out my hands helplessly. "The pantry is closer."

Kohaku nodded, slowly turning back to where she had been pouring cooking oil into the aforementioned skillet. "If you _must_, I will _allow_ you to help, if it means I can stop looking over my shoulder every five seconds for a sneak attack." She moved over to another place at the counter where she had a whisking bowl. "I'm going to be preparing omelets, though I suppose some hash or another Western side would be appropriate to accompany it."

Yes, delegate me the simple side that can only support the main dish. I eyed her suspiciously in return, though she had turned away from my stare. "You win this round, ruler of the Tohno kitchen. But my invasion will commence, regardless, and your territory shall fall."

Regardless, I made my way to said pantry to take a look around for the potatoes that Kohaku implied I should get started on. To just help out was enough to begin with, at the very least, and maybe I could weasel my way into full kitchen duties later.

* * *

><p>Kohaku hummed as she worked, and the general air as we prepared breakfast reminded me a lot of home, of much simpler times. Teaching Sakura to cook, watching her come alive from that shell she'd put around herself; listening to the television in the other room as Fuji-nee caught up on local news or how the Vissel League was doing in the latest soccer tournament. It brought back a homesickness that I'd not felt for a long while and I had to focus on the slicing of potatoes to turn my thoughts away.<p>

It just wasn't something that I could ever return to, and that was that.

"Hmmm, your speed is amazing, Shirou-san," Kohaku said as I readied to fry the hash I had made. "Have you ever considered being a sous chef at a restaurant before?" She grinned and absently cracked two eggs over her mixing bowl, as if to show off her own skills. "Or perhaps you are in fact a scout, an agent for some five-star, here to appraise my abilities and will supply me with an under-the-table deal, undermining Akiha-sama."

She had quite the imagination. "I'm sorry to report that I have come here too empty-handed to offer you a job elsewhere. Remember, _you_ found _me_."

"Oho." The maid folded to a crouch so she could reach beneath one of the counters for a measuring cup. ""Perhaps, then, you are truly a master chef yourself, in a long line of mystical chefs, and have come to this town seeking an apprentice."

"What manga do they feed you here?" I bit the inside of my cheek at that, though, since I _should_ have said something to agree with that, to guarantee a shot at ruling this kitchen. Damn my mouth for running off too fast.

"Manga? No, a manga plot would be…" she paused to clasp her hands together and tilt her head to one side, a stereotypical look of helplessness, "…for you to be a long-haired knight-errant come to rescue me, the simple town maid, from the oppressive reign of the evil Tohno fiefdom. Save me from the evil warlord, Emiya-sama!"

Knight. Ha. "So, shoujo manga."

Kohaku straightened and returned to her work, pouring out some milk into the measuring cup while glancing to her mixing bowl. "You started it. Walking someone of the opposite gender home while sharing an umbrella is a staple in romance stories! Double points in that we were young, so maybe it qualifies as a childhood friend archetype! Hmm, but lacking a promise somewhere in there."

"In like, manga from the eighties. We need to get you more up-to-date." Hypocritical, considering I haven't read manga for the past few years either. Oh well. "I…have to admit, I still don't quite remember this all, though. I do remember meeting someone, but…my memory is terrible, though, at least when it comes to people and names."

The slight smile Kohaku gave me somehow felt out of place when compared to the joking from before. Oddly, it felt more forced, like she was attempting to be sympathetic when she had no clue how to actually behave. "I'm really the opposite, so it isn't your fault. I doubt anyone else would remember such a thing." She shrugged, went to complete the mixture for her omelet. "When you gave your name, it just stuck out to me. 'Protection' indeed. I thought maybe you really were some errant warrior-in-training, by your name."

I really didn't know what to say to that. I mean, if you squinted at everything I wanted to be, everything I want to be, in a way it was an apt description. Even moreso now than before. So, like with anything else, I went with sarcasm. "Yes, my training that day was to use an umbrella to defeat the gods of the rain. Obviously, I was successful, and thus my training in that fashion was complete. I then went on to defeat my father as successor to the great Amegami Ryuu school."

"With an umbrella as a weapon." Kohaku smirked.

"If it works for Ryouga Hibiki…"

"Hmmm." Kohaku glanced to the sink, then back to me. "If I jet you with water, will you turn into a pig?"

I snapped my fingers at her. "That's what this needs. We should make some sausage or bacon for this. A fully Western meal. I think I saw some in your refrigerator…"

Kohaku rolled her eyes and returned her attention to the skillet she had prepared while I went searching for protein. The return to our meal-preparation duties allowed me to stop and consider all of the things said and the underlying theme throughout them all—well, beyond the fact that we both belong in a college manga club or something.

Though it had all been joking, had all been innocent, it just would not leave my attention now that I had a bead on what to look for. The Holy Grail War had gone by so fast that stopping to consider what was going on at the time was impossible, but in hindsight I had thought it over extensively, rewound it like a tape in my mind, reviewed everything I could. The same could be said for things before the war relating to it, like how Tohsaka had been a magi and yet I had never picked up on any kind of clues relating to that.

In hindsight, though, of course Kiritsugu would have been tripping overseas—to Germany, I'm sure. Illya's existence made that all the more apparent.

In hindsight, how I had made it out of the fire when I was sure to have died made sense, that a Conceptual Weapon such as Avalon would have been the only thing capable of saving my life.

In hindsight…

It was stupid to expect much from a teenage boy, I suppose, though it isn't like I could entirely forgive myself not to figure it out, now that I had the time to consider. But Sakura being around all of the time, her reluctance to go home…it had always been in the back of my head that her strained relationship with Shinji had been the source of that. It never occurred to me that there would be a reason why there was a strained relationship with her brother, why her family had never rectified the situation themselves, why Shinji had gone so suddenly one day from my best buddy to an abusive jerk.

And while I could never have picked up on the magical aspect of it—I was still horrible with recognizing magical signatures or the presence of boundary fields—it of course made sense in hindsight.

Through it all, Sakura had, in her own way, been crying out for help, beneath the smiles she managed to make after a while.

Kohaku joked, made light, smiled and laughed too. But everything she had just said seemed…well, odd. Yesterday, she had spoken in such glowing terms of the Tohno family, of Akiha Tohno in particular.

But as much as it sounded like teasing, I guess my mind would not discount the idea that she truly wanted out of this arrangement somehow. Now that we had some level of familiarity going, even as superficial and surface-level as it was now, and all she could say is a variation of "take me away…"

I just…wasn't that kind of knight, though. No matter how much I could have wished otherwise.

"Shirou-san, if you stand in front of the refrigerator like that, you're going to catch a cold," Kohaku said over her shoulder.

I reached in for the package of bacon that I had spotted earlier. "That's such a misnomer; you don't catch colds by being cold. Didn't you say you had some medicinal training?"

"You have a keen intellect, grasshopper," Kohaku said. "Just making sure you were still paying attention."

"I was merely plotting my eventual takeover of your Empire."

"Well then, my young apprentice, remember, only your hatred can destroy me."

Of course, the true underlying problem here was, we both really needed to get a life.

* * *

><p>I was met with Kohaku's sister Hisui as I prepared the dining table. Unlike her energetic sister, Hisui had this sense that she was carved out of marble—she kept still, completely disregarding unnecessary movement in the most efficient of ways possible. It was an odd contrast since they certainly looked almost perfectly alike otherwise. She apologized that she had not woken me as was apparently her task, that I had caught her off guard by how early I had risen.<p>

"I tried to beat your sister to the kitchen," I said.

"I have made attempts to do the same," Hisui said, "but nee-san is very protective of that space." Though Hisui then gave the slightest of frowns, she shook it off and apparently deemed her thought process unnecessary to share. "You are, however, a guest, Emiya-sama. You should not trouble yourself with such things."

"Eh." I gave a noncommittal shrug. "Not my intention to be rude, but, no use trying to stop me." I rubbed my hands together. "Your sister will see defeat at my skills, mark my words."

"Understood." She sounded like she didn't believe me at all. "Akiha-sama will be along, so I will complete the dining table. Please be seated."

I sighed, while making a mental note to never let Fuji-nee visit here. Ever. She would be spoiled forever, and I would _never_ be able to find her a husband. At least, one of the working class.

Akiha Tohno indeed made her appearance not a minute after I had settled in at the table. A slender young woman with dark hair and a dignified sort of air even from just entering the room, I wondered exactly how popular she was at her school—Kohaku had said something about a private girl's academy. I know that back in Fuyuki, she would have given Tohsaka a run for her nonexistent money.

I stood when she entered, bowed, and she seemed surprised at that. "Kohaku brought a guest, and he's well-mannered. Interesting." She bowed in return. "Akiha Tohno."

"Shirou Emiya. Thank you for having me."

"A friend of Kohaku's is…well, I'd say a treat, but she never brings people here," Tohno-san said. "You must be _extra_ special."

I waited until Tohno-san was seated to retake my place. "No, just passing through. Kohaku is just that nice." Hmm, indeed she reminded me of Tohsaka. Right down to the chin-above-the-rest sort of superiority teasing. I could live with that. "She speaks in radiant terms of her employer."

"I highly doubt that, but I'll assure you that only the good things are true," Tohno-san said.

Kohaku took that moment to appear, bearing the plates of breakfast we had conjured up. She then eyed me, then Tohno-san suspiciously. "Whatever he says, don't let him convince you to cook for us in my stead. He's clearly a terrible cook that couldn't even get these hash browns right."

I held my hands out, cracked the joints in my fingers. A war on all fronts, eh? Then I'll show you, Kohaku, how this name of mine works.

* * *

><p>Synchronized Body, Before This, End<p>

* * *

><p>The "E" in Emiya is a kanji that means "protection" and the "Shi" in Shirou means "warrior."<p>

Amegami Ryuu. I need to stop geeking out over upcoming _Ruro Ken_ stuff.


	26. SB Chapter 2: Beside You

AN: _The Old Republic_ has stolen all of my goof-around time, so slow. IT IS JUST A COINCIDENCE THAT TOR WAS DOWN FOR A SERVER UPGRADE AND PATCH WHEN I GOT MOST OF THIS DONE. Also, lots of work for school. I just did a presentation on King Arthur's feminine traits, looool.

* * *

><p>FateFar Side: Synchronized Bodies

Chapter 2

Beside You

* * *

><p>On the pretense of Kohaku showing me around town, we headed out after breakfast to take a look around Misaki. Of course, <em>my<em> pretense was for the purposes of convincing Kohaku that I needed to cook for my hosts that evening. Kohaku's seemed to be as a private investigator out to discover my deepest, darkest secrets. Tohno-san added her yen to the fold before we left, teasing Kohaku over the idea that she was in fact an "old maid" and was finally being taken out on a date.

I waited for Hisui to just move in for the kill, but the stoic sister had nothing to add to the situation, standing military-like behind Tohno-san's shoulder.

"So, she lives at your place, doesn't work for you, but calls the place 'home,' and you trust her to keep it nice when you're away." Kohaku nodded in an exaggerated fashion. "This is what we call a 'common law marriage,' Shirou-san. You and Rin are married!"

Don't let her hear that, she'll fandangle me out of my estate…

Honestly, though, it probably was an accurate depiction, at least in theory. Tohsaka had put off her trip to London to join up with the Association to look after Fuyuki and my place. Though the pretense she gave was something around the lines of further study to be better prepared for entrance into the Clock Tower, I had the feeling that a lot of her motivation had taken a blow from the war, not unlike mine, I guess. It was still there, yeah, but we still had to cope with everything that had happened before getting back up on our feet—and I think, in a lot of ways, Tohsaka was starting to wonder whether she even wanted to be a part of a magical guild that supported something like the Heaven's Feel ceremony.

Wandering Misaki and its early-spring chill reminded me just enough of home to consider what Kohaku was trying to make more like a joke a little more seriously. Other cities that I had visited around Japan were usually larger and busier, places where I could learn more about the general state of the world, how communities acted when so tightly woven, that sort of thing. The "concrete jungle" I heard someone term it in a book back at school, once. Misaki was a little more isolated, despite the fact that it was no backwater town. A microcosm of a world, something that I had learned lent itself to feeling almost boundary field-esque. Which of course, reminded me of home.

"Ohhh, in here, in here, I should get us a movie or something while we're out," Kohaku said. She was directing me toward a local film rental place, waving excitedly at the shopkeeper—apparently they knew each other. "What kind of movies do you like?"

The store itself looked a lot smaller on the outside than inside, though the fact that it was flanked by two much larger buildings probably didn't help with that perception. Still, it was somehow fitting to me that Kohaku knew about it of any of the locations around this part of the downtown area. "I don't really watch a lot of films, to be honest. But I guess I like, uh, heroic stuff, epics and all."

"Heh," Kohaku raised a hand to cover her snicker, the sleeve of her kimono lending her that older-woman-laughing-at-a-silly-little-boy sort of look. "_Interesting_," she sing-songed. "Most boys would say 'action' or 'fighting' to describe films like that. You say 'heroic' and 'epic.' Quite the old-fashioned romantic, are we?"

Snorting, I followed after the maid as she wove past displays toward the drama section. "I wouldn't exactly say I'm a romantic." In fact, I didn't particularly find any of that sort of thing—historical or fictional—romantic at all. I probably knew too much, as it were. "I just like to think we can learn from the past, and take what's good about it and emulate it."

The way Kohaku listened to me when I said that—the tilt of her head, the much more subdued smile—seemed to at least momentarily get her past the jokes. "I see," she said. "So, then, what have you seen? Now that we're here, I think we really should get something to watch."

An errant thought occurred to me. "I never saw a television in the house. Do you hide it, or something?"

Kohaku's smirk returned. "Oh, no, Akiha-sama is just a very old-fashioned type. She doesn't have much use for television. I keep one in my room, though. Partially to keep up on the news that is more up-to-date than the paper, at least."

I guess in that way, Tohno-san and I were kind of alike. I think the only reason I ever kept the television in my place was because Fuji-nee used it so often. "I don't want to bore you. Or Hisui-san, if she would watch things with us." Though something about Kohaku's sister told me she would somehow find a proper excuse to avoid frivolous activities. "What kind of things do you like to watch?"

"Pornography."

Dear god and all things not false like Kotomine, I was glad I didn't have anything in my mouth to spit out right there. Instead, I nearly choked on my tongue.

She said it with a completely straight face too, though it broke out into a grin when I started coughing. "Oh my, you don't actually believe me, do you? As if a fair maiden such as myself would ever delve into such things." The only thing that was missing was the high-class accent and a tilt of her chin skyward, and she would have been the perfect noblewoman.

"I will never play poker with you. Or hanafuda. Or anything that requires cards."

A sigh. "Such is my lot in life, to never face an equal at gambling." She shrugged, motioned toward one row of movies. "Honestly, when I come here, I probably watch anything and everything, but I probably have tried romance more than others. I've tried to get Hisui-chan to tear up, since for some reason I feel it would be easier than attempting a laugh out of her."

"In other words, you're the real romantic."

Kohaku's face scrunched up. "You should never tease a woman about their preferences, or any excuses they make up to conceal such a thing. It is like making fun of a woman's choice in dress or makeup." She waggled a finger my way. "No making fun of romance films, got it?"

"Yes ma'am." I tried not to grin back at her, but it was difficult. She took on the role of a boss real easily.

Seemingly placated, Kohaku hummed in thought. "Well, why don't we combine the two. How about _First Knight_? It has swordfights and a romance story about Lancelot and Guinevere…"

Probably catching onto the strange look I had to be sporting, Kohaku's voice trailed off. I couldn't help it though. While I had since the war looked into reading up on mythology a little more than I had before, things about Arthurian myth now somewhat bothered me each time I was exposed to them. While I think Saber herself might have been vaguely amused by them, I couldn't help but consider depictions of "King Arthur" as sad and entirely false representations. "Maybe, something different? I might prefer to keep it Japanese, if that's alright."

Kohaku shrugged. "Alright." She then leaned in to give a stage whisper. "Have something against the British?"

You have no idea.

* * *

><p>From the rental place, we wandered back toward the suburban area where the Tohno estate was located, taking a different route from the one we came by, again just to let me take a look around. While I didn't intend to stay that long, I didn't mind getting a broader view of the city, nor spending more time around Kohaku.<p>

"I know you said Japanese, but this really is more American than anything," Kohaku said, looking over the movie we had decided upon. "I mean…Tom Cruise? Not very Japanese."

There was something just, well…off, about how she acted. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but every little movement she made, the way she closed her eyes when she smiled broadly or put her hands behind her back as she walked about seemed to be telling me something I ought to know.

I had a lot of hard-learned lessons in life, and understanding how the public actions of someone informed on their private lives was one of them.

"Just try it out," I said. "There's a nice, understated romantic story in this."

"So, you've seen it?"

"On a whim, once. I liked it, though, and have thought about seeing it again." I grinned. "Kind of terrible about historical military facts, but, well, _American_."

Kohaku nodded to accept that, glancing instead down one street as we passed by. "How about we get some snack food while we're at it? Some take-out, perhaps, and make a night of it? It might make Akiha-sama and Hisui-chan more likely to involve themselves, since they will feel guilty _not_ to participate."

"Well," I grimaced, "I wanted to cook for you all…"

The grin that sprang much too fast onto the maid's lips told me everything I needed to know: yes, she was aware of that, and this was in fact another way to counter my incursion into her kitchen territory. In another lifetime, Kohaku was probably a master of the boundary field.

"Fine," I relented.

* * *

><p>"That…was so…<em>beautiful<em>…" Kohaku sobbed.

"Indeed," Hisui added.

The three of us sat huddled under blankets and pillows in Kohaku's room, watching as the credits scrolled along the screen. I would have gotten up to turn the television off, but my legs had gone numb under me.

Being in the bedroom of a girl I had hardly met yesterday was bad enough. I was not about to sit on her bed behind closed doors with her.

We had managed to convince both Kohaku's sister and Tohno-san to come watch the film with us, and the take-out Chinese food we had brought with us seemed more appropriate to pick and eat at rather than sit up at the formal dining table for. Tohno-san, however, had eventually wandered off, apparently not moved at all by Tom Cruise or Ken Watanabe—though I wasn't exactly surprised. For some reason, this kind of film did not strike me as her kind of fare. She _had_ surprised me with how willing she was to hole up in her maid's bedroom to "hang out," so to speak, even if it had not lasted the entire movie.

"How cruel our society is, our history is," Kohaku went on, though now she muffled herself with a handkerchief as she wiped at her face. "So beautiful, yet so tragic…but I don't want him to have a different end, but…it's still _sad_!"

"Nee-san, if that is all, I should go clean this up," Hisui said, crawling off of the bed and picking up the discarded food cartons we had left out.

I tried to get up and follow her lead, but my numbed legs betrayed me and she had all of the garbage swiped up before I could make it to my feet. "Let me help you with that?" I tried.

"You are a guest, Emiya-sama," Hisui said. "It is my job to handle things such as this." She gave a quick bow of her head, then was out the door before I could conjure up a response to stop her.

"Don't worry," Kohaku said, dabbing at her eyes again, "Hisui-chan is probably just as moved and needed privacy to let it all out. She's very shy, you know."

To be honest, I think Hisui was more interested in the sword fighting than even I was. "If you say so," I said. Trying to shake the prickly feeling in my legs away, I kept kicking one leg up from the shin like I was stretching for a run. "You really liked it that much?"

Nodding, the maid hit the controller in her lap so the film ejected from her game system, doubling as a DVD player at the moment. I went to replace it back in the packaging. "I actually liked the other relationships more than the romance, though. Katsumoto was based on Saigou Takamori, wasn't he?"

"I think so." This was, after all, a film about the end of the samurai, and Takamori is often called the last true samurai. "Who was wounded by gunfire and then had his allies help him with seppuku at the end…so yeah."

"Think…his end was actually this beautiful?"

"Probably not," I said. That…just isn't right, ultimately. People die like that, and it is bloody and terrible. You don't get last words that close up the person's journey so perfectly like that. They just die, and it's sad. "Though it would be nice."

"Lost someone, have you?" Kohaku asked.

I couldn't help but smirk a little at the way she carefully edged her voice into the question, and I looked at her askance. "You _sure_ you're not working for some international agency that wants to prove that I am, in fact, an international terrorist?"

"Oh, of course not, they fired me many years ago. I work as an independent now." Kohaku stuck out her tongue. "Seriously, though, it sounds like you're speaking a little from experience."

"Maybe a little." I considered the last few minutes of the film and decided I really didn't want to go there. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

This time, I was the one that got to give the all-knowing gaze. "A couple of things, really. You seemed to get very quiet whenever the main character was drinking."

She gave me a funny look, her forehead furrowing but keeping a bemused smile up. "What? Doesn't it make you uncomfortable watching someone drown their sorrows like that?"

"Yeah, a little." I felt a quick surge of victory at the way she phrased that. "You know, I couldn't help but think that part of the reason I can't remember meeting you very well is that, well, what I can remember is odd. It doesn't really line up. I mean, I remember meeting someone, but she was very very quiet." I let my eyebrows raise a bit. "You're anything but quiet."

"Are you calling me a loud-mouth?" Kohaku looked like she couldn't decide on whether to get angry or start pouting.

I opened my hands and shrugged. "If the shoe fits…"

"I wear sandals."

I made to flick at her forehead with a finger and she gave a relenting little laugh. "I'm trying to be serious here."

She waved off my hand, though her shoulders slumped a little. "Promise you won't laugh, then?"

"Stop making jokes and I can be a very dour person. In fact, you might just find me outright depressing." Which is true. The more I think about that other self, the more I get a little depressed. While I still don't understand what tipped the scales completely…

I guess I could only hope that I would never find out.

There was a chair to the desk next to Kohaku's television, and I pulled that up to settle into. Again, something about sitting on a bed next to a girl felt way more intimate than even just being in the same room with them. "You have my full attention," I said.

"Well, doctor, I am starting to have dreams about my mother…"

I glared. "Just so you understand, I would make the most terrible therapist this world has ever seen, no joke."

Kohaku sighed, then looked to the window. Night had long since fallen, so there was little to see—the glare from the single lamp left on over the course of the movie still produced enough glare that all I could see was a dim reflection of the room. I suppose that if Kohaku wanted to reveal something about herself, though, that might in fact be an apt vision to do it to. "You know how they say that the story of a damsel in distress is very un-modern, kinda sexist?"

"Yeah."

She gave me a worried sort of glance. "Does it make me a backwards kind of girl to like those sort of stories?"

I swear, every once in a while, that feeling that hung from around my neck would give me clear and tangible visions. The irony or appropriateness of one person asking me such a thing when I spent so much of the war convincing _another_ person something similar was not lost—in fact, I had this sneaking suspicion that the warm feeling that crept up on me right then was Saber somehow listening in and sharing in the amusement. "I am also the last person you want to ask that question to."

"Oh?"

Nope, not going to let you turn this back on me. "I'm sure there are plenty of girls out there that like that sort of thing. Even wish for it, guilty pleasure or, well, not-so-guilty pleasure, whichever."

Kohaku made a noise that sounded somewhere between a huff and a protracted laugh. "When I was younger, I had a crush on a boy. I wanted him to be my knight in shining armor, you know. It's silly, you know. Just like me, right?"

Well, I didn't really know about that. I pointed out the film because it reminds me of her overreaction to things, whether cheerful or sad, angry or guilty, over regular things—like his overindulgence in drinking.

Like one girl, cheerfully learning how to cook.

Like another girl, cheerfully playing amidst the snow.

"Is that why you remember me?" I asked, a little dumbfounded as the connection sort of made it in my head. I understood that a lot of people had strange mnemonic strategies to keeping hold of information or specific events, and that they often were associated with personal quirks of obsession or enjoyment. Again, I was probably the last person on earth to relate that to, since mine had to do with ancient weapons of war, but, I guess it made sense if I looked at it from that kind of perspective. "Just because I was being polite, or something?"

Kohaku looked a little embarrassed. "See why I thought you'd laugh?"

"I guess." Though I didn't find it funny at all. Actually, I found it a little disquieting, a little too close to home.

Sitting up and shuffling over to one end of her bed, Kohaku pulled an umbrella from where it must have been leaning in the corner of the room. She extended it handle-first to me. "This is yours."

I took it, the vague sense of familiarity returning to me. Normally, I suppose, I might have instantly recognized it since the physical makeup of things like this were always my strong suit, but I think I must have given this away before I had attempted to learn magecraft and started visualizing the world in such a way. The thing is, I didn't really remember it per se, but now the image in my head of a young Kohaku did solidify to be clearer. "Yeah, I kind of remember now."

"Knights, you know, used to entrust things to women of the court before they went off on their errant adventures," Kohaku said. "I guess, you didn't take this back, so that's how I remember everything so clearly."

I could remember a girl, remember holding this out over her to protect her from the rain—

Dizzy. I felt really dizzy.

"Shirou?"

I sat back in the chair, looking at this simple little cloth and aluminum thing, and for a moment, I really, _really_ felt like throwing up.

"What's wrong?"

Swallowing back on that sensation, I shook my head. "Don't worry," I said, though my tongue suddenly felt numb and slow to respond. I wasn't even quite sure what I was saying. "I wouldn't laugh at you for something like this."

Yeah. It wasn't something to laugh over. Or even wonder if she was silly for remembering.

Maybe, after all this time, I should be laughing at myself. Apparently, I was a lot smarter and more aware of things when I was a kid, than I was when I really needed it.

* * *

><p>Synchronized Bodies, Beside You, End<p>

* * *

><p>Cherry blossoms in Japanese are "sakura." The samurai attached much meaning to them as a metaphor for the ephemeral nature of life. No coincidence that Katsumoto dies viewing them in <em>The Last Samurai<em>.


	27. SB Interlude: Lost Side

AN: Nope, not TOR this time. Had to work on stuff I don't put on FFN, a contest, and then midterms were a short while ago and finals are coming up. Yes, my school operates quarterly, not on a semester, so things fly into my lap like crazy.

* * *

><p>FateFar Side: Synchronized Body

Interlude I

Lost Side

* * *

><p>Shirou was sure he had never seen anyone eat so much. Not even Taiga, on the worst of evenings after school where she'd been regulated to grading three stacks of papers after missing breakfast and having no time for lunch, could put away the same amount.<p>

He was also sure he did not like the smug look on Rin's face, since she was the cook this time around.

"So, what do you think of the meal, Emiya-kun?" Rin eyed Shirou steadily, glanced to Saber as the petite woman downed her fourth serving, then back to Shirou, a thin-lipped smile creeping onto her face. It was now the third or fourth time such an expression had been directed his way, and he was beginning to feel a sense of supernatural dread grow with each moment.

"It's…good," he admitted. Really good. It somehow did not surprise him that she could cook so well; it fit that air of perfection she carried at school. On the other hand, now that he understood her heritage to some degree, he felt like there was a cheat somewhere in here that she could even have the time or inclination to learn to cook. He had time and a lack of any talent, magic wise, to explore. She had to devote a solid schedule to her training and maintaining her perfect student status—

"Hmmm, I couldn't quite catch that," Rin said, her voice edging into a tone of contrived ignorance.

Shirou decided then and there that every warning Issei had ever given him about this girl being a dangerous fox had been entirely accurate. "It's very good, Tohsaka. I'm impressed."

The smile she gave him seemed overly joyous. "Thank you. That seems like an especially good complement, coming from someone who clearly has a talent in the kitchen."

Considering their earlier talk of his inadequacies as a magus, he felt like she was jabbing him right where he was weakest. He knew, too, that there was no defense he could raise, nothing he could say to lessen the blow. It was fate, an inevitable, unavoidable strike, and he had to accept the damage and move on.

Yeah, right, like he would take it sitting down.

"You'll make a wonderful wife someday, I'm sure," he said.

Rin's eyes narrowed at his return attack, but before she could retaliate in kind, the sound of a laugh, short and curt, could be heard from elsewhere. Archer had apparently been within earshot, and the amusement that he found in the statement apparently could even defeat his apparent hatred toward an enemy Master.

While Rin glared this way and that to turn her wrath on her soon-to-be-drop-kicked Servant, Shirou glanced to Saber, who had apparently missed the sarcasm and was nodding in approval and agreement. "No need to praise Tohsaka further, Saber. I don't want her getting a big head." He paused, considered his words. "Bigg_er_."

Saber gave a serene little smile. "You should not insult a lady like that, Shirou. I would assume this is Rin's way of showing a peace offering for Archer's actions."

He snorted. "While still hanging the so-called Damocles sword over my head in doing so…"

"Mm, Rin is at least honorable enough to give you fair warning. You should appreciate such chivalry in what can otherwise be an ugly battle, Shirou."

"Still, I think it'd be better if you _didn't_ like her food. Maybe if Sakura were here, show you someone who isn't going to hang it over your head…" his voice trailed off, though, as his complaint gave way to another thought. A thought he should have had earlier, and felt a shiver shoot up his spine when it occurred to him. This was the first full evening with Saber, with Rin and her Servant, and he had not—

The gentle rasp of a knock at the door, followed by the rasp of wood sliding open—

"I'll get it," Rin said, already on her feet.

"No, you idiot—!" Shirou started, though he fumbled getting to his feet fast enough.

For some reason, it was more horrific than running into that giant Servant and his stone axe in the middle of the night. Rin stood just before the genkan, one hand on her hip, looking a little perturbed at the new arrival. Sakura stood opposite of her, a wide-eyed and pale-faced expression at this intruder upon her everyday activity of helping the Emiya household. When Sakura's eyes finally tore away from the witch, she gave Shirou a pleading look for an explanation.

Shirou's mind decided to go completely blank at that moment.

"Oh, right, I forgot that you visited Emiya-kun regularly," Rin said, and she stared up at the ceiling for a moment. "I'm guessing Emiya-kun didn't tell Matou-san about our arrangement?"

Sakura's gaze shot back to Rin, now looking even more scared.

"Er…" Shirou tried to reorient his thought process, but for some reason, explaining Rin's presence in any fashion that seemed plausible seemed impossible to wrap his mind around. Things were just happening too fast, anyway; he'd barely had one day to cope with his world turning upside-down. "Hi."

Rin gave him an askance look that favored the brilliance of his linguistic choices.

"Tohsaka-senpai?"

Rin shrugged. "My house is being renovated, and I bumped into Emiya-kun earlier. He said he had a place I could stay, and he wouldn't charge me an arm and a leg like a hotel would. So I accepted his gracious offer."

"Sorry…" Shirou said, and he wasn't even sure why, but he felt even more apologetic than he probably needed to be.

"I…um," Sakura eyed Rin the entire time, even though she continued to address Shirou. "That's, um, alright. I won't be long, anyway. I was going to say that I would not be coming over this week. My grandfather is in town and, well, nii-san wants me to tend to things at home."

"I see," Shirou said. He glanced out the corner of his eye toward Rin, hoping that the witch would not add anything else unnecessarily, but was disturbed to find her looking suspiciously at Sakura, her arms crossed and her brow furrowed. She was not speaking, though, which Shirou took to be a blessing at the least. "If that's so, I guess it can't be helped."

"Yeah…"

He returned his attention to his kohai and wished he could explain everything so she would not look so downcast. "Listen, if Shinji keeps giving you trouble, just let me know. I promise, we won't fight or anything, I'll just talk to him." It felt like a useless gesture, though he meant it fully, wanted to make sure she did not feel like he was just brushing her off while this new 'tenant' was present.

"Thank you, senpai."

An errant thought occurred to him. "Uh, also, you wouldn't happen to know where Fuji-nee is, would you? I'm surprised she hasn't shown up for dinner yet."

A faint smile finally crept up onto Sakura's lips, though there was something about it that was different. Shirou could not put his finger on what, exactly. "She was only at club briefly, I think because there was work the teachers all had to divide with Kuzuki-sensei's absence. I would imagine she will be here as fast as she can otherwise, though."

Shirou nodded. "Yeah. Well, anyway, I'll walk you home, then."

"But your dinner, and you have guests—"

He glanced to Rin again. She took a moment to realize he was looking to follow her lead, but she nodded. "Eh, I'm pretty sure I couldn't stand Emiya-kun if he let a girl walk home alone in the dark, you know." She spun on her heel and was down the hall, though Shirou noted that her head was tilted up toward the roof, clearly in silent contact with her Servant. Though it pained him to realize that it meant probably being escorted by that guy, he figured he'd endure it for the evening, at least.

* * *

><p>They were silent for most of the walk, though Shirou did not feel like this was out of the ordinary. He and Sakura would often chat about random, mundane things, but almost in equal parts the nights he would walk her home were spent in comfortable silence.<p>

Too, he had a lot on his mind, and he was afraid that if he spoke up, he'd let something slip.

The Matou estate looked dead quiet when they arrived, and Shirou wondered if Shinji was out on a date or with his gaggle of admirers. The fact that he would leave his little sister to attend to family at home then got his gall a bit, though he choked back on the feeling as much as he could. "Sorry again for not telling you about Tohsaka. It was kind of last-minute."

Sakura startled, clearly lost in her own thoughts as well. "Oh, no, please don't worry about it. You are allowed to do with your own house what you want."

"I know, but, still, I feel like I should've told you. It won't be for long, though." A thought occurred, and he could do nothing to stop the rush of words out of his mouth. "And don't get the wrong idea, or anything. We're not dating or anything, so please don't think that."

"I know." Her tone told him she was not at all convinced.

"In any case, I'll see you at school tomorrow. I'll let Fuji-nee know what's going on, too, so, um, if you have the chance, try and, uh, distract her if she starts ranting about me?"

Finally, he managed a faint laugh from the younger girl. "You should know, senpai, if I tried to do that every time she brought you up, I would never get any shooting practice in at all."

"Ugh."

She smiled, and bowed. "Thank you for walking me home. And tell Tohsaka-senpai that I'm sorry I was a little…curt with her."

"I think everybody should be a bit curt with her," he said, entirely serious.

"Goodnight, senpai."

"Goodnight, Sakura."

* * *

><p>Even after she had passed through the doors of her home, Shirou stared after her for a while, something still bothering him. It also bothered him that there was an ominous feeling he had coming from the house, one that he usually didn't feel when he'd been here in the past. He decided that the surreal knowledge of the Grail War was at odds with the adolescent memories he had when nothing really out of the ordinary had seemed possible and he had just come around to hang out with his buddy from school.<p>

"You just gonna stand out here like a big neon bull's eye?"

Shirou sighed; he had known he would not get out of this little trip without some kind of rant from the Servant in red. "Shut up. It's not like I don't know this town, couldn't find some way of escaping an attack."

The white-haired man was before him when he turned, materializing out of the gloom beyond the light posts. "You're an idiot if you think a competent magus could not plan out various strategies around your actions, even if they're less familiar with the area. That isn't even mentioning the Servants."

"That all you have to say? Cause I'm going now, you don't have to nag."

"Just thought I'd share some observations, actually, since we're being all nice and agreeable. Allies do that sort of thing." He smirked, a sort of lopsided grin, and Shirou once again felt the overwhelming urge to punch the guy in the face.

"Then talk, I'm all ears," Shirou said, starting back down the road to his home.

The Servant followed after like an overgrown shadow, like a light were cast from Shirou's feet instead of above his head. "You want to be some kind of hero, want to save lives."

"Congratulations, you probably have an A-rank in Perceive Basic Goals."

"So what happens when, say, that girl you were just with is irradiated, or the carrier of a disease agent. It won't kill her, but it will kill all those within a ten kilometer radius. What, O Ally of Justice, do you do then?"

"This isn't an observation," Shirou said, shaking his head, "this is rhetorical nonsense."

The clatter of boots on the pavement stopped, and the Servant's voice lowered. "This is deathly serious, Shirou Emiya. You should realize that no Servant has it in them to make believe such ideas."

Shirou turned, faced the man, faced the sharpened look Tohsaka's familiar now wore. "I would try and cure whatever the thing was."

"With what? Your Nuclear Physics Degree? Or expertise in Biological Warfare?"

Grinding his teeth, Shirou growled, "You're the one posing the question. I'm answering it. I don't know _how_, but I do know _what_." Perhaps, though, it upset him so much because that very issue, the what over the how, had plagued him for years now. He still had no way to perceive the how. "I can't prepare for every given situation. But I'd try, and find a way."

The half-angry look Archer regarded him with did not abate; in fact, it seemed to only grow in clarity, like Shirou's words had somehow been the whet stone to Archer's edge. "Be prepared to fail, then, if you're going to go on dreaming like that."

* * *

><p>"Bastard—!"<p>

Shirou struck the thirty-seventh sword from Gilgamesh's hand, spinning in place, grabbing the next blade at his feet. He swung wildly, without form, without any clear thought, every process of his mind on the blades as they appeared from the glowing gate, every push of his body only just enough to keep up with one who stood above human comprehension.

The King of Heroes reeled back, reached for another blade hovering over his shoulder, commanding more blades to pour out of his treasury. But each swing of his arm was just that fraction of a second too slow, his grip on the weapon not enough to keep hold, the weapon's grip on reality not enough to keep from shattering against its doppelganger. Each flying sword and spear was met by a twin, as if his actions were merely flinging objects at an invulnerable mirror.

And Shirou did not relent, did not give him even a moment to consider anything else.

Gilgamesh staggered back one step, then three at a time, halted to try and cease the assault. Each misstep only drove him further into a corner; had it not been within the endless landscape of unreality, they might have made it some blocks from the Ryuudou Temple stairway.

There was no end, to the world, or to Shirou's vision.

If fire had scorched the landscape, it also fueled the very existence of his world. The pulsing of his prana would not end—Shirou felt the semblance of energy, of fire, coursing through him, far too much than his circuits could ever contain.

He was not fighting alone, of course.

That warmth he felt from the little keychain was like an extra lungful of air, like pumping oxygen into the furnace until it ran hotter and hotter. If his prana was the hand on the pump, and Saber's presence the device—

"To use this for such a mongrel—!"

Gilgamesh went for a weapon that Shirou had not seen before, and the moment he laid eyes upon it, felt like something in his chest had clotted. Even within this perfect workshop, he could not perceive its make, its function, though every nerve in his body and every pulse from Saber told him:

It was too dangerous to leave alone.

"_Excalibur!_"

And so, even with the King of Heroes withdrawing more than a mere handful of steps away, he lobbed the glowing cut of Saber's sword at his target. Gilgamesh was partially enveloped by the light before he could point this new weapon at Shirou, and the crash of accelerated prana into the world beyond was too much. Unlimited Blade Works collapsed, and Shirou pressed forward once again.

Because the golden Servant still stood, despite half of his body being blasted away.

Shirou could not afford to underestimate this one, though, and he moved in, the sword bearing the title "steel cutter" aimed for Gilgamesh's neck—

It was like a blooming flower, or peeling away at a corn husk, or a raven spreading its wings to fly. A sudden flourish of darkness gathered between them and opened outwards, striking at both Shirou and Gilgamesh at once. With Excalibur raised for a strike, Shirou deflected part of the shock aside, while Gilgamesh, with only one arm and an errant blade from his grand treasury to hold himself up—

Despite a wound that had to have torn part of a lung away, Gilgamesh rumbled as wisps of blackness caged him. If Gilgamesh was a light, a golden glow in the twilight night, this thing was his shadow, cast even greater and deeper than one who was not the Hero of Heroes. Dark tendrils like hands shot up to grab him at the legs, like the multitudes of hell groping for their savior—

"What are you…get your filthy hands off me—!"

Shirou staggered to his feet, helped now that they had returned to the stairway of Ryuudou his Reality Marble had overtaken. He made his way back up the incline, the sword in his hand ready to repel both the golden presence of the Servant and the darkened something that had appeared—

"Gah!"

Pain lanced up his right leg as something hit him from behind, entirely skewering his limb. He glanced down to see what at first looked like a horrific parody of a flower sprouting out of his skin, but a closer look aided by the glow from Excalibur brought a sense of reflection and transparency.

Gossamer wings.

Three screeching bugs shaped like small blades had impaled his leg, the creatures' wings sprouting out from the wounds. Shirou followed the path they must have taken back toward the street, to find a tiny silhouette in the lamplight across the road.

"You're in the way, boy," the figure said; an old man with a voice like it was rotting from within. The newcomer raise a hand, and though Shirou raised the sword to ward off another attack—

A swarm like locusts spewed forth.

* * *

><p>That was not the end, though now he understood why.<p>

_It was within you all along._

It was not tangible, nor was he exactly hearing her voice, per se. But that feeling within him had expanded and it was like he could read her mind, or she could project into his.

Within him, he saw, the image of gold and blue—perfection that would not let him die, would shield him from all harm.

Except…

He pulled himself from the ground, brushed absently at where there should have been a hole in his chest, in his side, at his neck. It was much like the first time in the graveyard, where Archer's attack had almost taken him out, had pummeled his body even if it had not hit him directly. He had been so perfectly fine hours later, in defiance of what he knew should have had him incapacitated for at least the next day.

An old man had come, had attacked.

He had passed over Shirou, who had laid still as if dead while Avalon repaired his damaged body. The man had used words to command that darkness from before until it had entirely consumed the wounded Gilgamesh, the Servant roaring in rage the entire time. Unaware of the eyes still on him, the old man had then spoken aloud, clearly to nobody, to himself, to the world as if to announce his presence and intent:

"Finally, you are of use to me—"

And that shadow, for the briefest of moments, had taken on shape as the man had reached out to take hold of it—though to take hold of a shadow was not to grasp at anything, but to pierce it with his hand, to command it like a part of his body.

And within that shape, that brief form he had seen—

"I have…to stop him…" Shirou muttered, his mind still trying to reorder everything. There were just too many things that had happened all at once, this night, and if losing Saber had been a blow to his head, realizing the connection he might have to Archer was like bile in the pit of his stomach—

This might just be like having lost a vital part of his body.

Admire Saber. Pity Illya. Dislike Archer. Respect Tohsaka.

But, to him, there were only two people he could really call family—

The only ones by which he could measure something like love—

He pulled himself up to where he had seen that inhuman man disappear to, the entrance to a cavern that loomed like the darkness that had swallowed the King of Heroes.

* * *

><p>Interlude I, Lost Side, End<p> 


	28. SB Chapter 3: Here Without

AN: And now distracted trying to get my cosplay all worked out for Sakura Con. Also, why is it Spring Break, yet still so freaking cold here?

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><p>FateFar Side: Synchronized Body

Chapter 3

Here Without

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><p>I had a silly dream once, one that I always look back at with mixed feelings. Where Kiritsugu could have lived to meet Illya, where they could have reconciled all of the issues between them. Where, after the war, she could have stayed with us and, regardless to her shortening life, had a father once again.<p>

Saber could be there, could see and know the Kiritsugu I knew. She could see why he had fought, why he made the choices he had, and how it had earned him nothing—all a parallel, I guess, to what I always thought she'd endured. And maybe, through his example, she could find a measure of peace, knowing that while reality might have been different, what they fought for was still worthwhile to pursue.

Likewise, in this dream, Shinji got over his, well, I guess you'd call it an inferiority complex, now that I had more of the full picture. And instead of treating Sakura so terribly, they got along, and the both of them could instead come to my place, away from the gloom and terror of the world their house represented. Without the influence of their family sire, they could get along with a normal life and not have to worry about things neither of them fully comprehended or wanted a part of.

Tohsaka, of course, could be there too, reconnecting with her sister in the way that she always wanted, in neutral territory that had nothing to do with the Tohsaka or Matou lineages. There's a lot they had to get out into the open air, and obviously a public place like school just wasn't an option.

Speaking of school, Fuji-nee of course would want in on all of this once she had some idea of what was going on. While I don't think she'd have the most…tactful way of helping things along, she always admired Kiritsugu, adored Sakura, and had bonded in the strangest way with Saber. She even seemed to get along with Illya. I had no doubt that somehow, probably including meals at my expense and various broken items of furniture, Fuji-nee would somehow make everything alright between us all. Maybe.

Still…

It was a mere idle thought, a passing idea. I thought my mind was trying to find some way to grieve over things since I was so otherwise desensitized to everything. It's hard to even be emotional over something when struck repeatedly in the face with death and sadness. Or maybe I was just too abnormal.

"I'm sorry," Tohsaka had said, when I had confided the thought to her. It probably wasn't the best time to say such a thing, amidst discarded clothes and bedcovers, but I think it was probably that feeling of nakedness that prompted me to say anything. Tohsaka had told me many things about the situation that led up to the war from her side—all of the dire things tied to her history and the relationship she had with the Matou family. It seemed only fair that I try and let her know she wasn't the only one that longed for a different outcome.

It wasn't long after that when I decided I had to try and get away, get some space. Part of it, too, was that it became more and more clear that Tohsaka and I were clinging to each other too much and that we could probably do for time on our own.

Just…someday, I wanted to be able to say things about what we lost and not…not look like I'd just physically harmed her when I do so.

* * *

><p>"It's nothing," I said to Kohaku, waving off her hand. She looked ready to drag me to the doctor if I didn't clear my head now, real fast. "Just remembering things." I took a deep breath and spun the handle of the umbrella in my hand. "You've kept this thing in nice shape for so many years."<p>

The worried gaze of amber eyes was not receding at all. "I'm not usually in the habit of being rough with people's presents, you know," Kohaku said.

"Yeah." I didn't know what else to say. How do you explain to a person, _don't worry, your dreams are not something to laugh at, not when I'd prefer those dreams to reality_? I'm just a boy that can't let go of those kind of dreams anyway.

It's strange to think that I got that even as a kid. When Kiritsugu brought me to this city before, he hadn't yet told me about his dream. I was certainly still trying to mimic him, probably still trying to convince him to teach me magecraft. But I definitely didn't have the goal "ally of justice" in my head at the time. I guess, then, all it was boiled down to an intuitive understanding of what Kiritsugu wanted.

Kohaku frowned at me and my silence. "Okay, so, you won't laugh, but you clearly find something wrong about this."

"No. Nothing wrong." I leaned back in the chair, tried to look as calm as I could. "More like…too right." I managed a weak smile. "You make it sound like I could have been a knight, gallantly looking after a young woman before wandering off to find adventure or something."

"You don't have to make it sound so silly," she said. "Obviously, you were too young to be a knight. Squire?"

"Then, what do we call you? Lady-in-waiting? Handmaiden?"

"You can _still_ call me that." Kohaku sat back down, seemingly placated by the lighter mood we'd fallen into. "Are you still a squire?"

My thoughts were drawn back, once more, to this sad little dream, to an existence that would be forever disconnected and foreign to me. "Yeah," I sighed, though I couldn't help but smile ruefully at the concept. "I guess I am."

* * *

><p>It was, of course, a sleepless night for me. Thinking of everything that had happened during the war, how it colored everything that I knew beforehand with a different hue, I often felt like a complete moron for not being more aware of everything. It only makes sense that if Kiritsugu tells you, "I'm a magus," it follows that there would be others that had hidden sides like that, or that supernatural events were going on everyday where I couldn't see. I knew logically that it was beyond my control, but the nagging feeling that I could have paid better attention stayed with me. It was a double-failure in that way: I'd already kicked myself enough for not being more proactive in Sakura and Shinji's situation, but everything about the magical side of things…<p>

Well, I wasn't a horrible magus for nothing.

So I just rolled around restlessly for hours and even tried breathing exercises to get my mind calm enough to rest. But by the dead of night, it was clear nothing was going to get me to go out. Every once in a while, I considered the thought that it might have been Saber's influence on me, keeping me infused with energy to be extra vigilant like she must have been in unfamiliar territory.

I threw on the clothes I'd set aside for the next day and wandered back out into the main wing of the house. Though it would be hours before breakfast, the thought did occur that if I just staked out the kitchen, I could preempt Kohaku and get some cooking in.

Kohaku, however, was still up. When I made my way past the foyer into the living space, I could see the lights still on and Kohaku's voice talking to nobody—on the phone, perhaps? Regardless, my plans were foiled. I should have paid more attention in elementary school when everyone was playing capture-the-flag. Maybe I would have learned a thing or two.

"I should go. Yes, thank you," Kohaku was saying when I peeked into the kitchen. She waved me in as she finished her conversation, setting the phone down on the receiver as I sat up on one of the nearby chairs. "Shirou-san, what are you still doing up?"

"Couldn't sleep." I was a little perplexed at Kohaku's wakefulness as well; the way she had responded to our little movie seemed like the kind of situation where one would be drained afterward. At least, that's always how Fuji-nee responded. Maybe not the best of examples to compare to. "How about you?"

"Akiha-sama has been feeling a little under the weather, and preoccupied with finishing school. I've been trying to keep her arrangements as simple as possible. That was one of the branch families—fussing over her, so to speak."

"If…" I grimaced at my own suspicions. All the thinking earlier probably has me too much on edge. "If it isn't a bother to say, what exactly _is_ the family business? I mean, if there's a branch family, it seems like Tohno-san is part of quite the dynasty." I'm not even sure if Tohsaka had such a thing in her lineage, and at least, once upon a time, her ancestors seemed to have been fairly 'big.'

"Well, you know, organized crime, drug trade, arms sales…"

I gave her my best _ha ha you can't fool me_ look. "Just like home, then." Not that Fuji-nee or Raiga for that matter had their thumbs directly in that sort of thing, but, well, they were the heirs to a yakuza group. Actually, I think Raiga's people had more to do with money laundering and loan sharking than anything. Once again, in hindsight, it seems rather fitting that Kiritsugu would turn to such people, if concealment of funds was something of an issue.

Kohaku pouted. "You learn too fast, grasshopper."

"Seriously, though, what kind of situation? I mean, you've said that Tohno-san's parents are gone, and that she's the head of the house, but obviously a teenage girl is not going to be _literally_ running a company…"

"Well, she is and she isn't." Kohaku spread her arms helplessly. "She's technical owner of a couple of businesses, including things run by branches of the family—the Touzaki, for instance, are traditional swordsmiths. She even has financial investments in the very school she attends, since the Tohno family has strong ties to a few other wealthy lineages."

Huh. Yeah, that also cemented the fact that if I couldn't bring Fuji-nee here, else let her feel spoiled, I most definitely couldn't bring Tohsaka here. She'd run this place dry in no time.

"But she doesn't exactly oversee day-to-day operations of any of it. For the school, she just happens to cast a vote in a committee. Things like that." Kohaku made to move the phone she'd been using from the kitchen counter back to the table it had been resting on originally. It was an antique rotary phone that, well, I guess fit the décor for the rest of the house. I could't help but stare at it, since it looked like it might have been made when it was still possible to become a Heroic Spirit.

"Then who would you be talking to in the middle of the night? This branch family?"

"Well, multiple branch family members in a row, actually." Still, strange to be communicating with sunrise still hours away. I frowned, and Kohaku gave me a fox-like grin. "You sure turned this around on me," the maid said. "I was the one trying to sneak information out of _you_."

"And I said I'm still not some covert chef attempting to steal you away."

Kohaku's eyes narrowed. "Yes, you did. Why bring that up? Unless…no, you can't be so devious as to state your stance once more as a ruse to make me think that it is now indeed false. Yet if it were, you would be smart enough to know that I would know that you did so on purpose—"

Now she was doing it on purpose. "Just so you know, I'm also immune to iocane powder." All our talk about damsels and knights, as well as movies, and of course we'd end up on _The Princess Bride_. Even I've seen that one—probably for the same damsel and knight reason.

"Can't fool you," Kohaku said. "You are still not getting into this kitchen."

"Can't fool you either." I sighed.

Kohaku gave me a sympathetic look, the ends of her eyebrows curling down. "Do you want something to sleep better? We have quite a variety of different tea flavors and the like."

I waved the offer away. "Things like that don't really work on me."

"Should I hit you over the head with a mallet, then?"

"If you want to ruin a perfectly good mallet."

I think even Saber would laugh at that one, and it did earn a smile from Kohaku. "Well, then, there's always late-night comedy sketches, anime, or infomercials if you want something that will lull you to sleep." She leaned forward, hands on her hips. "So long as you do not take advantage of being alone with a girl in her bedroom."

The grin that crept up on my face probably resembled Kirei Kotomine a little too much. "I most certainly would not."

"Nor does that mean you can try and wait for me to fall asleep, then sneak back in here while I am helpless to stop you."

Damn.

* * *

><p>True to my word, I refrained from any inappropriateness when Kohaku took me back to her room and set the television onto a random station. Every once in a while, I would glance in an obviously suspicious way toward the maid, who would meet my look with her own—like I was a parent checking on a kid attempting to steal snacks before dinner.<p>

Or maybe I was the kid, and she was the parent.

Either way, the game continued like that for an hour, according to the clock on the screen, until Kohaku did in fact fall asleep. Manzai comedy routines did get a little old after a while, and apparently even laughter could not keep the maid from succumbing to sleep. It really didn't help me, however. Still just too much on my mind.

Even so, after another twenty minutes of waiting around doing nothing, I switched the device off. In the faint light still coming in from the hallway, I tucked Kohaku in, careful to keep from waking her. "I'll keep true to my word, like a knight, or squire, or whatever would," I said, "and I won't preempt your breakfast this morning."

I glanced over at the umbrella she'd kept all this time and shook my head. Not like I'd be the kind of knight you'd want, anyway.

* * *

><p>Synchronized Body, Here Without, End<p> 


	29. SB Chapter 4: There Amidst

AN: Sorry for the delay. Got sick twice in the past month. Also, short chapter.

* * *

><p>FateFar Side: Synchronized Body

Chapter 4

There Amidst

* * *

><p>There really was no way I would be getting sleep at this point. Thoughts and distant memories kept swimming through my head, and even if I did manage some kind of rest, I would probably just feel worse for it if my dreams turned the direction I thought they would. So I just found myself wandering the halls, getting a little lost in the Tohno mansion, before drifting toward the kitchen—apparently, the natural haven my mind seemed to crave.<p>

It was a bit after dawn when Kohaku made her way down to start breakfast. She spotted me instantly as I stood off to one side, my hands folded obviously before me like I was trying too hard to look innocent. She gave me an over-the-top frown and narrowing of the eyes, searching me up and down for some sign that I had been active within her space. Like an errant ladle would still be hiding in my pocket, or something. "Good morning," she said, her voice deep and suspicious.

"Good morning. I'm completely innocent."

Revenge. She would constantly second-guess her work all morning.

The maid knew it, too, with the look she shot my way. It was like she could see the oncoming bus but had no ability whatsoever to avoid being struck. I was going to plague her work all day, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

"I'm…going to make breakfast now," she said, still watching me like one might keep an eye out on a nasty-looking spider without a shoe to smash it or jar to catch it with.

I smiled. "I won't be in the way."

"Uh huh."

So Kohaku started her work, glancing over her shoulder at me whenever she went for a new pan or set of ingredients, watching me for a reaction. I kept that same innocent look the entire time, calmly watching as she started up a traditional Japanese breakfast.

Hmm, maybe not an entirely effective form of revenge. Watching her make food but being unable to help was just about my own definition of torture. And yet I couldn't say anything, else let my plan fall to pieces. I really was my own worst enemy.

"So what are your plans today, Shirou-san?" Kohaku asked as she finished setting the miso aside and went to slice salmon fillets. I had nothing to say about how she prepared food—Kohaku seemed quite skilled at cooking—but I just wanted to do _something_. It had been _far_ too long.

Still, I had to remain stoic and perfectly even for her to continue the suspicious looks she continued to shoot my way. "Well, since you showed me around town yesterday, I thought I would actually try my luck at looking for the doctor I came to this town looking for."

"Hmm. He helped your father before, you said?"

"Something like that." I wasn't even really clear about all the details, either, and it would have been hard enough to explain to someone who knew all about magic and curses and all. Explaining it and censoring myself would pretty much be impossible to come up with anything coherent. "Afterward, I was thinking if there was something I could bring? Since you won't let me cook for everyone, is there something you or Tohno-san would enjoy that I could bring back?"

She hummed in thought. "I can't think of anything, no."

"I would be a terrible guest if you didn't let me do _something_."

"I'm still not turning this kitchen over to yo—oh."

I peered to where Kohaku stared down at the cutting board as she raised her hand. Blood began to fall from her finger. Apparently she had cut herself while slicing the fish fillet—those knives were razor sharp, after all.

The strange thing, though, was the absent way Kohaku stared at the wound. The fact that I could see blood rolling right down her hand said how deep the cut was, but she only smiled, looking a little embarrassed. "That was really clumsy of me," she said.

Something about that reaction just reached right into the pit of my stomach and jabbed at me, gutting me from the inside-out.

I made my way over, grabbed for her hand and held it up. The cut was one of those that just looked painful. It was right at the second joint of her finger and had slashed completely across the digit. I didn't know much of anything about human anatomy, but I would have been really surprised if she hadn't cut right into muscle or a tendon or something.

I remembered seeing the first aid kit in one of the cupboards yesterday. After rummaging past a few other household tools—batteries, plastic wrap, old phone directories—I pulled it out from the back of one clearly oft-used storage space. Though it was old and obviously hadn't been used in the past few years, the band-aids and disinfectant were still useable.

Kohaku gave an embarrassed smile as I wrapped the pad around her finger. "I guess I should be more careful," she said, laughing to herself. "You're a distraction, you know that?"

There it was, that distancing from the event. It bothered me. It bothered me _a lot_, and now I had a good explanation as to why. It was the sort of distance, the sort of dulled emotion that I recognized from multiple sources. Not just Tohsaka in the months following the war. Not just Kiritsugu as I look back on my childhood. But also in that quiet girl I taught cooking to, and in that cheerful girl that danced in the snow amidst a war of life-and-death. "You really aren't fooling me, you know."

She laughed again, though this time it seemed forced. "Think this is an elaborate plan to make you have sympathy for me so you would stop harassing me and cease attempts at invading the kitchen for your own nefarious plans?"

I secured the band-aid around her finger, though instead of drawing back, I kept my fingers hooked with hers. "Is there ever a time I can catch you being serious?"

"Well…"

"Whatever hurt you in the past," I said, watching every millimeter of her expression for a change, "I don't think you should try to hide it like this."

Kohaku kept the exact same embarrassed-amused expression, though her eyes fell to our fingers and the bandage around her cut. "A lady of the court is always allowed to keep her mask on. I could imagine that is where the masquerade evolved from, after all."

Knights and ladies again. Still, I refused to be dissuaded. "Ladies dropped those masks for the errant knights that served them, though."

The maid giggled, though once more I felt like there was something underneath it that was unsettling. "So, you would be my courtly love, would fight in my name against the evil dragon threatening my life?"

"If it meant I could save her, yeah."

Kohaku pulled her hand back. For a split second, that mask, that thing that I was trying to get her to remove did indeed drop, and all I saw beyond was a sense of melancholy. She smiled, reached back to put the strips of fish she had cut into the now-heated pan. It sizzled, and the sound somehow felt like a wall being erected between us. "Nobody ever thinks about that poor dragon, though," she said. "Why only the sacrifice of the maiden would be enough to appease it and remove the plague it brought with it."

One image immediately swam up into my mind and I felt like I wanted to rip it right out of my brain even if it meant lobotomizing myself. The only thing that helped me keep that from showing was the warmth that pulsed from around my neck—there was only one dragon I knew, and she certainly was not the evil kind.

* * *

><p>This time, it was Hisui that stared after me like I was dangerous vermin as I set the table. I had prepared the table the day before and I had the feeling that this only exacerbated the reason she had to glare. Hisui seemed like she was a perfectly-proper type of maid that did not appreciate my attempts to do her job. "What? I feel useless unless I can help out."<p>

"No, it is not that," Hisui said.

I stopped halfway into setting out silverware and eyed the maid carefully. "Was it something I said?"

"Perhaps." Her brow furrowed, and though her expression did not change much beyond that, I could somehow make out that she was working out her thoughts carefully. "You stayed with nee-san after the film last night?"

"Yeah. I couldn't really sleep." I thought about it for a second, then the meaning behind Hisui's words sank in. "We didn't do, uh, _anything_, if that's what you're worried about."

"I was not particularly concerned with that," Hisui said. "I am curious as to what happened, however. Nee-san seems to be in a strange mood."

I'm not sure what qualified as strange for Kohaku—everything about her was strange to me. Hisui, though, clearly had some kind of mental line that she drew and could somehow measure her sister's actions by. Apparently, Kohaku had crossed it today, and _before_ she had entered the kitchen as well. I'd intercepted Hisui before she had even been able to go for the table setting. "That is probably my fault. We just ended up talking, and I said some things that probably upset her."

"I do not think so," Hisui said. The maid had taken the opportunity and while I was distracted thinking of what all I had said to Kohaku, she had stolen the remaining set of silverware and hastily set it out on the table. "I do not think she is upset. She seemed concerned, worried."

That made two of us. "I think _I'm_ the one that should be worried." I caught Hisui's eyes and gave her an even look. "She's had things happen to her, hasn't she? Something bad. She hides it well, but I can tell."

Hisui's eyes fell. "It is not my place to speak of it."

"I kind of feel like I've done something terrible to her," I said, glancing back to the kitchen. "When we met…like I gave her some kind of false hope."

"I would not say that."

"I would." I gave Hisui a helpless look and shrug. "I've done it before. I recognize the signs now."

Kohaku took that moment to exit the kitchen, breakfast plates at hand. Hisui fell silent, and I clamped my jaw down fast enough to hear my own teeth click. Still, I guess that even Hisui could figure out what it was I was going to say before we were interrupted.

I wasn't going to let it end the same way this time.

* * *

><p>Synchronized Body, There Amidst, End<p> 


	30. SB Chapter 5: Surface Below

AN: No, before you ask, _Shared Resonance_ has nothing to do with this story.

* * *

><p>FateFar Side: Synchronized Body

Chapter 5

Surface Below

* * *

><p>Not allowing any mistakes I've made cause a situation like before was, admittedly, not something I had full control over. The problems last time were confounded by multiple layers of issues that I'm not sure how I could have dealt with all at once. I'm not even sure I could have solved anything had everything lined up in an orderly fashion and let me have first crack at them.<p>

But I knew what not to do, and that was let it passively go. Completely forfeiting on venturing into town, I spent every moment after breakfast pestering Kohaku in that evil way she managed to draw all kinds of information out of me when I first came here. Every mention she had given before, on Akiha Tohno, on Shiki Tohno, on her work here, on her interest in pharmaceuticals and Chinese medicine, everything was a part of my arsenal. Even her habit of closing the refrigerator door with her hip. I pestered her whether she thought riding a bullet train was fun, if she preferred to be early to a doctor's appointment, if she ever got tired of any jokes directed her way when watching the _Kohaku_ special on New Years.

And, like her, I realized something in the areas she did not talk about, the gaps in which a normal person would easily make reference to:

No comments about family, except for her sister.

Yet again, my own experiences were probably not the greatest of comparisons. It is, though, a noticeable trait I'd found when thinking back on it all. As strange as his home life was, Issei would make casual references to life in the temple, growing up, his family, even Kuzuki-sensei. Mitsuzuri would too. Most of the people I knew at school were like that.

The black hole of Shinji and Sakura's family had since come to bother me. In the time I'd been Shinji's friend, I never once heard anything about his father or mother and the few times I'd visited his house, it just hadn't really occurred to me to think on the subject much. The same had gone with Sakura after she started coming over to my place. All of my attention had been on the friction between her and her brother. Zouken Matou was not a name I had heard until the war, and that terrible absence was something I looked back at and shuddered over.

"Really, I don't think much about it," Kohaku had said when I edged her into the topic. "I mean, it has been a very long time."

While Tohno-san clearly treated Kohaku and Hisui well and got along with them fine, it still must be a psychologically difficult thing. I couldn't exactly criticize the old-fashioned nature of raising a servant class for an old and powerful family like this—it just wasn't the world I knew—but even the most acceptable conditions still had to come along with its share of problems.

I should really look into taking some psychology classes or something if I decide to pursue university.

"Didn't you say that you were looking for a doctor around these parts?" Kohaku asked, apparently trying to change the subject.

"Didn't you say you worked for Interpol as a spy?"

"I said I was fired from there a long while ago."

I grinned in triumph. "You said you were fired from an agency, not Interpol in particular."

Kohaku puffed her cheeks out like a chipmunk. I followed her through the house toward the kitchen: I supposed she would be starting up the evening meal and I would continue my assault with her attention divided. "Seriously though, isn't it why you're here?"

"Well, yeah, though it's late enough now that starting now would be kind of silly." I glanced out the window near the front door—though it was not yet dark out, the grayish sky was starting to thicken beyond the regular overcast light. "Besides, can't a guy just flirt around with a girl normally, since he was true to his word and didn't attack her in her sleep?"

"Hmmm." The maid could not give a further reply, though, as her sister swept down the stairs, her arms laden with a large suitcase. "Hisui-chan?"

"Nee-san," Hisui said. "They should be here momentarily."

"They—" Kohaku blinked, then her eyes widened. "Wait, didn't I—oh damn."

I wanted to grill the elder sister over her sudden shift in language, but I followed her horrified gaze out the same window to peer at what was just pulling up beyond the main gate to the house.

A black car and a limousine.

"What was that?" Tohno-san asked, descending the stairs after Hisui. She then caught sight of Hisui's luggage, then glanced out the window. "Wait, what's going on?"

The limo oddly did not quite stand out like it should have. The size of the Tohno estate and everything else I had learned about the family suggested the wealth Tohno-san held, so I guess I wasn't all that surprised to see something like that. But just looking at the car, I could see within its structure the kind of armor plating that foreign dignitaries had, though the vehicle itself screamed something like yakuza or some dangerous form of organized crime.

Tohno-san eyed the vehicles, then shook her head after she seemed to place their relevance. "What do they want now? Haven't they heard of a phone?" Her eyebrows shot up, then she spared a look at Hisui as something in her head must have clicked. "Wait a second…"

"Well, the thing is—" Kohaku started.

With a glare over her shoulder that could probably strip paint at fifty paces, Tohno-san said, "You, quiet. I'll take care of this. And then we're going to talk, and you're not going to like it." She turned her gaze to Hisui. "And you, stay right where you are."

Making a note: Never let Tohno-san and Tohsaka meet. _Ever_.

The head of the house flung the door open and strode out with her shoulders squared. I had this strange sensation that felt almost like a literal tear inside of me: on the one hand, the childish side that wanted to cheer her on, and on the other, the side of me that looked at the gangster-esque car out there and wanted to tell her to keep her head down or risk being shot in the head.

Neither happened, though, as the young woman was met with a trio of suited men stepping out of the car to flank the limo. The rear passenger window opened and whoever was inside apparently began speaking. Tohno-san listened for a short while, then her mouth moved in reply, though nothing carried the entire distance between the gate and the house.

"Oh, what a screw-up," Kohaku said under her breath. For the first time since coming here, the maid's lips and eyebrows formed a genuine frown, something completely unlike the over-exaggerated expressions she usually made. "Please wait here for a moment, Shirou-san."

She stepped out of the doorway and down to the gate and the odd gathering of people. I peered out after her, then glanced back over my shoulder to Hisui. "Who are these people?"

"The Touzaki," Hisui said. Despite the fact that her suitcase had to be rather heavy, she still held it before her rather than set it down. "Relatives to the Tohno."

"The branch family?" I remembered what Kohaku had said earlier when I'd caught her on the phone late at night. It really could not have been a coincidence. "They need you for something?"

Hisui was silent for a long while, gazing out the doorway to the situation at hand. She seemed to rapidly string together a series of varying thoughts that showed right on her face, from relief to worry, and I was tempted to say something that would probably get me in a lot of trouble. Something like, _I'll protect you all, don't worry_. But the girl seemed to then process my question and said, "I do not believe it is your concern, nor my place to speak of it."

"You're right," I said.

The entire situation—I wasn't really sure what exactly was going on, but intuitively I could piece together enough to work from. The way that Tohno-san looked mightily peeved, the way Kohaku had run out and apparently was trying to smooth things over, Hisui's reticence, even just the vacant feeling in the air. I looked back around the foyer of the house and thought of how huge it was, the only sound a distant grandfather clock, and how empty it felt despite these three girls—

The same kind of emptiness I would someday return home to. Even if the numerical setup had not changed from years back, just as it seemed like the three here had lived like this for a while yet, something felt fundamentally different. For me, it was obvious—but for this family, I wondered if it was the absent elder brother whose name would crop up occasionally.

"You're right," I repeated. "I'll just go and be incredibly rude to Kohaku as usual and make it my busin—"

One of the suited men then grabbed Kohaku's arm.

"Nevermind."

Well, knight-in-shining-armor or not, I _really_ wasn't going to sit around with that happening.

Though Tohno-san's voice had risen and she was practically screaming at the men to stop, apparently they had decided that it was entirely suitable to ignore what a teenage girl was telling them. A door to the limousine was now open and they looked like they might be attempting to drag Kohaku in. The maid was struggling to pull herself free, though she was also saying something I couldn't make out over Tohno-san's shouting.

I wove in between Tohno-san and Kohaku, coming back up around the maid to strike at her captor from the front. I hit the arm holding Kohaku at the elbow with my elbow, hyperextending the limb and wrenching the man's grip away. He instantly responded with a right hook, but as close as I was, the field was to my advantage: Tohsaka's Bajiquan lessons gave me enough to work with. I caught his hook with my other arm, then brought my elbow back around and came up simultaneously with my knee, catching the servant in the chest at two points and knocking him completely clear.

The two other bodyguards moved to surround us and I could hear the scrape of metal-on-leather, the sound of weapons being drawn. I set myself to intercept further attacks, though I had to cringe a little at the odds. Out in the open like this, it would be problematic to use magic, and I rather doubt that I could take on three trained bodyguards with only the basics Tohsaka had given me.

"Is that any way to treat a lady?" I said. Tohno-san added a huff beside me, a noise of agreement, flicking her hair over her shoulder in the universal disdain that only women could project.

"Stop," came the voice from within the vehicle.

I let my eyes travel to the very edges of my vision to appraise the one sitting within—old and balding, liver-spotted, wrinkled, though hale enough to still look authoritative and firm. Slouched as he was within the confines of the limousine, I could not gather how tall he was exactly, though he did project enough to come across as bigger than he probably was physically.

His voice came in, annoyed, though not at all surprised. "I should warn that my people are highly trained in swordsmanship and boxing, boy. I highly doubt one as young as yourself has seen service in the JSDF like Kei there." He flicked a finger toward the one furthest from me, also the most physically imposing of the three.

"And I might warn you that _I'm still right here_," Tohno-san said, her voice falling to a near-guttural growl.

The three men all made faint twitches at that, whether a tensing of muscles or a quicker intake of breath. Apparently, there was something inherently concerning to them about that, though the limo passenger seemed to disregard it. "I don't think you understand your predicament, Akiha-chan," the old man said. He motioned toward Kohaku like he could shoo her away with his fingertips. "That one is trying to ruin us. You, me, the entire family. She's playing games with us." His eyes narrowed, turning him into something like an old wolf, still ornery enough to bite you to death if you dared intrude on his territory. "If you don't let us handle it, you're going to find yourself up to your neck in trouble."

"It's a good thing my head will be clear, then," Tohno-san said. "We have nothing more to discuss. What plans you had must change. I require both of the sisters here."

The old man sighed, long and deliberate-like. He made a waving motion, and the three guards seemed to take that as a back-down signal. They withdrew back a pace or two. "And I require that the head of house Tohno learn some wisdom," the old man said. "If you refuse to, what is the phrase…'get with the program'? I will have no choice but to take stronger measures to ensure the safety of the line."

Tohno-san kept an entirely-straight poker face.

"Fine then." He reached out to close the door, but fixed me with a pitying stare before he pulled it closed. "Boy, if you're a new hire…you'd better get yourself a new job."

* * *

><p>Only when they were out of sight did I let my guard drop. There was something else underlying this all, more than just the regular kind of danger sense that occurred whenever money was involved: this felt a little bigger than that, though I couldn't place exactly from where that feeling came from. For all I knew, it was just Saber's senses rubbing off on me and giving me the impression of danger that would keep my skin firmly affixed to my body if I heeded it.<p>

Though Tohno-san thanked me for my intervention, she looked frustrated all the same. "I know there was probably nothing else to be done, but, you really shouldn't rush into things like that. They might have really hurt you."

Yeah, I sort of got that. Still.

"Still," she said, shrugging helplessly, "you're not the real problem. If you'll excuse me."

She grabbed Kohaku by the wrist and dragged the maid back to the mansion, somehow politely excluding me from the discussion while being extremely impolite to the maid at once. They swept past Hisui, who looked a little confused—she had finally set her suitcase down.

I needed to remember to send a letter to old man Raiga someday, thanking him for never coming down on people like that.

Except Fuji-nee. Maybe he should have been more forceful with her.

* * *

><p>I was able to get to cook for them after all.<p>

Tohno-san and Kohaku took a long while _discussing_ things—by which I mean, Tohno-san seemed to yell every now and then, loud enough to echo through the house a bit—and it took enough time that I just started up dinner until such a time I was told to cease and desist.

Hisui relented, apparently deciding that she would explain her side of it, at least, as she waited around the kitchen as well, clearly distressed by what the others were possibly arguing over. "Nee-san arranged for me to be taken in by the Touzaki as they have been pressuring Akiha-sama over decisions she made some three years ago."

Once again, what was left unsaid gave me a good idea of the situation. "You mean, you would be a gift."

"It was not Akiha-sama's decision," Hisui said. "Nee-san kept it from her so Akiha-sama would not feel the responsibility."

"Pretty sure she'd feel it anyway," I said, probably with a little more venom in it than I wanted.

"I just…if there is something I can do to solve it, I would," Hisui said.

I stopped my nori-rolling to give Hisui my full attention at that; the conviction in her voice seemed too much to not accept directly. I had the feeling that she felt very upset over this turnout—else she would not be so forthcoming. "I'm sure that, whatever the case may be, there is still a way to work this out without splitting you all up. If you can get your sister to think on it harder, I bet she'd find a way."

Hisui looked away at that. Whether in disbelief or despair, I couldn't tell—but whatever it was that was going through her head, it did not seem pleasant.

* * *

><p>Dinner was held in uncomfortable silence. Tohno-san praised my cooking, but it was very clear her thoughts were elsewhere; Kohaku seemed to eat rather listlessly, and Hisui was more concerned with her sister than anything else.<p>

Sleep once more would refuse to come.

Between the haunted look Kohaku had the moment she had spotted those cars and the worry Hisui had expressed earlier, my thoughts only constantly drifted back to the disparity I felt, the sad girl I remembered and the façade she gave me now, years later. It bothered me enough that I didn't even get under the covers of the bed and alternatively ended up pacing my room and staring at the window and the faint reflection of myself I saw in it.

Until a faint hint of red caught my eye.

The reason for it was fairly weak—it was overcast outside, and while there was some moisture in the air, it was nothing but a tiny drip here and there—but that really didn't matter. I sped out of my room as fast as I could without being overly noisy, charged down the stairway, and out the front door.

Kohaku waited out at the gate, the umbrella I had given her in hand—a sign, I hoped. She gazed out vacantly down the street, that smiling mask of hers gone, replaced by something more subdued, melancholy.

I did a poor job at making it not seem like I was making straight for her, did a poor job at seeming like I was just sleeplessly wandering as before. But the maid didn't seem to mind as I approached, the sound of my footsteps giving me away. She held the umbrella out higher, what I took as something of an invitation.

"He's right, you know," Kohaku said.

"He?"

She shrugged and tilted the umbrella down the road in the same direction as the Touzaki cars had gone. "The old man Touzaki. He's right. You probably should get a different job. Like a chef at a restaurant, maybe."

"You mean, as opposed to being a jobless bum that wanders around the country," I said.

"I mean…as opposed to staying around here." A shadow of that mocking smile she had before crept onto her lips, but it was marred by the earnest way she looked up at me. "You've been very nice, Shirou-san. I don't want you to get mixed up in all of this."

"Mm." I gave a neutral sort of mumble, tried to stall for something to say. Sometimes, I wished that, for all I teased Tohsaka for messing up at just the wrong time with the things she thought of or said, I didn't do so because I wasn't a lot like her in that regard. I had a feeling like I could very well say the exact wrong thing at this moment, and it would all blow up in my face.

_You never were very good with words._

The warm feeling around my neck suffused my nerves, and whether it was insight provided by that presence or my own unconscious idea, I didn't know, but my hand came up to curl around Kohaku's hand, the hand still gripping the umbrella.

No words, this time. Just try to do something—because words once failed you before.

Kohaku didn't respond to the touch, returned to peering out down the street, but at the very least, I felt like I hadn't said or done the wrong thing.

* * *

><p><em>The message was delivered by courier, delivered within a day despite the distance it had to travel. To the modern world, it might have been something of an anarchism, a relic of olden times, since post was a simple mailbox away now. But here, in the heart of Japan, still far from the hustle and bustle of city life, where tradition still flourished—<em>

_It was a simple letter, simple and decisive, with the seal from the head of the Touzaki family._

"_Your presence is required immediately."_

* * *

><p>Synchronized Body, Surface Below, End<p> 


	31. SB Chapter 6: Dreams Above

Fate/Far Side: Synchronized Body

Chapter 6

Dreams Above

* * *

><p>She wasn't clear with me as to why, but Kohaku insisted the next day that I look around for the doctor I'd come to find in Misaki, and that she would accompany me. Whether she was ejected from her duties by Tohno-san until a solution to their issues could be found, or whether she wanted to get away herself, or whether I'd somehow managed to peel away enough of her persona to get her to reach out to me in turn, I wasn't really sure. But since it took two birds with one stone, I was not going to complain—though the doctor had really fallen far from my priorities.<p>

Unlike the last time, there was really little chatter. Kohaku seemed lost in her own world of thought and I didn't really feel like I should press it. We would stop at a physician's workplace and I'd ask, and when Kiritsugu's name could not be found, we would just wander off in a random direction from there.

To be honest, with my attention on Kohaku and Kohaku's attention elsewhere, I'm not exactly sure where we stopped for lunch, even.

By the time it was getting late enough to head back, it was very clear that nothing would be getting accomplished that day. I wanted to let Kohaku come out with whatever she was feeling herself, but she didn't seem ready to devote herself to sharing everything that was bothering her. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place—I had learned, painfully, that forcing something was not going to necessarily get me anywhere, but if I just stayed passive and quiet, she might not ever take the initiative.

"What should we do about dinner?" I asked, the thought only occurring to me when we were already coming up on the Tohno estate. Says a lot about how much I wasn't thinking about everything else.

"Take out. There are a few places we can just call in," Kohaku said, her gaze steady on the house.

The Tohno mansion was not a haunted house, did not quite give off that feeling or sensibility. Kohaku's eyes seemed to say "haunted" instead, a mirror reversal. The cliché I've heard is that "eyes are the windows to the soul" or something like that, but I always thought that a little strange. Looking into a house through a window was, well, creepy and intrusive. I think a better idea would be to look at the house of a person instead, look at how the inhabitant views the house, and then figure things out from there.

So, it _was_ a haunted house, at least for Kohaku.

"Shirou, you really don't belong here."

I shrugged. "You said something like that before."

"No, I said that you shouldn't stay here and get mixed up in everything." Kohaku turned her attention to me from the corner of her eye. "But you really just…stick out here."

"And nails get hammered down," I said, quoting the proverb. "I know."

"No," she said again. "It's…nice, you know. Even if I think you should turn the other way and run as fast as you can."

I wasn't really sure whether I should feel good or bad about that. It sounded like a good thing, but the way Kohaku sounded…almost, well, _dejected_, stole any positivity out of it.

* * *

><p>Tohno-san returned from her final day of school that evening and dragged Kohaku off to talk privately when she did. I was so predisposed with what they could be talking about—again—that I didn't realize Hisui had met with the delivery person for food until it was being set out on the table for us.<p>

When they came back, Tohno-san motioned for me to get up and follow her. I glanced to Kohaku, but the maid seemed once more preoccupied with something and unaware of my scrutiny.

I followed Tohno-san toward the bedrooms, though she took me through the doors of one I had not been in, next to Kohaku's room. Unlike the various other places I had seen in the mansion, this one looked distinctively masculine in décor. Austere bed frame of dark wood. Large desk with a heavy chair. The coloring is dark everywhere in the room, save the sheets of white on the bed. Books too numerous to count on shelves. Everything just so.

"I'm just going to be blunt. Who are you, Shirou Emiya?" Tohno-san crossed her arms, her fingers tapping her elbows.

I stared. "I'm…not really sure what you mean." Really, a loaded question. Philosophical, moral…not to mention all the other _complications_ that I had to offer with an answer that the average person would not.

"Kohaku brought you in. I need to be clear with where this is going. She's had her thumb in a lot of dishes, so to speak, and I want to know if you're another part to this all."

I held out my hands helplessly. "I don't know what's going on with her, but I want to."

"You're truly just someone she once met, and stumbled across recently." It seemed less of a question and more rhetorical, like Tohno-san was thinking aloud.

"Yes."

"And that's it. Nothing else."

I had to consider how to word everything from here on out. Suddenly, I felt like I was maneuvering through a minefield and didn't even have a destination in mind to begin with, other than _out of the minefield_. The vague sense of something unsettling about the room was not helping with that feeling. "I…well, uh…it isn't tied to anything about you or Kohaku, though…but I'm, uh, not exactly…normal?"

A flat, dry expression of dullness set on Tohno-san's face. "Yes, I gathered that. So, could you care to explain what a magus is doing in my territory?"

…Sometimes, I hated how everyone always seemed to be a step ahead of me.

* * *

><p>The next day had me accompanying Tohno-san into town as she was going to introduce me to the doctor she thought Kiritsugu had once met. It was also once more a sort of strange interrogation, though not in the same goofy way that Kohaku grilled me for information.<p>

"You run around with the name of a famous Magus Killer," Tohno-san explained. The street was oddly barren for an early-morning jaunt, though, so I wasn't exactly worried about the issue being out in the open. Though maybe that was also one of the points to the problem I had. "Yet you assume a person only has mundane knowledge. I think that puts you at a standard disadvantage."

Well, it just didn't occur to me that the not-mundane would be so easy to find. Although I guess I really should have learned my lesson on that from the Grail War, when your school idol, one of your teachers, and the girl that comes over to your house every day turn out to have not-mundane backgrounds. It stood to reason that every major community would probably have some kind of supernatural ties or something of the sort that was not normal.

"So your family has ties to that world. Kohaku and Hisui as well?"

Tohno-san shrugged. "Part of a lineage with ESP."

The instant thought that came to mind was it suddenly made sense how easily Kohaku could get information from me. That, I shook off, though, since ESP didn't actually often work in a stereotypical telepathic sense. "So, is all of this tied to the, um, _problems_ you've been having with Kohaku and those branch family members?"

"Not…entirely…" Tohno-san's voice drifted off, stopped, and took a look around. "Do you get the sense that we're being watched?"

_This one has quite the sense for it._

"_Something_, I'm not sure if it's being watched though," I said. The oddity of the time of day and empty street bothered me. Though school was out, people still had to go to work—and this ought to have been the time of day in which you'd see some commuters. "It was busier yesterday when Kohaku and I went into town. Now it feels too empty…"

Yeah, you idiot. That makes sense. If they wanted to take Hisui or Kohaku as was apparently arranged earlier, they might set up a roadblock before moving in. Especially if, as Tohno-san suggests, there's something magical related to the work going on here.

"I…think we should maybe find this doctor another day and head back," I said, and the prickly feeling on the back of my neck seemed to agree with this sentiment.

Tohno-san gave me a strange look. "You sure?"

Well, even if this doctor she knew was the right one, it was a pressing matter or anything. Another day couldn't hurt.

* * *

><p>We made it back to the mansion in time.<p>

Multiple cars had been parked: two to either end of the street a hundred meters from the gate. Another car and the limousine were somewhat closer, pulled up onto the curb on the far approach as Tohno-san and I ran up. It seemed as if they were just doing so, as vehicle doors were only just opening as we came within clear sight.

Just beyond the gate, Kohaku and Hisui were stepping out to investigate.

Bodyguards from the cars in front of us stepped out and looked ready to impede our way. More still exited from the cars on the far side, as well as one from the limousine. That made a total of nine at least, all either pulling metal-lined gloves on or brandishing those strange short swords.

"Let me handle this," I said to Tohno-san. Even if I was still clueless on the how.

The guard from the limo moved around the vehicle to the side facing the mansion to open the far back door, allowing another to step out. A larger man, and unlike the others enough that I had to stop and take notice.

He was unlike the others as night was different from day. His clothes were simple, suitable for a martial trainer rather than a businessman or yakuza, frayed at the edges in a way that no self-important person of high class would ever be caught with. He was shorter than two of the bodyguards, though his build was suitable as a combatant—compact rather than all arms and legs. His hair was wild and from beneath the fringes, one dark eye gave me a quick appraisal.

The Touzaki bodyguards all took steps back, giving this man a wide berth. From behind me, I heard the shuffle of footsteps as well—Tohno-san muttering "No…" under her breath.

"What?"

She apparently recognized the newcomer, her voice picking up a waver. "Kouma Kishima…why?"

Though the man did not speak as he stepped out of the limousine, the old man still sitting within did. "Do not concern yourself with Akiha Tohno. Just the maids. Their games will come to an end, now."

"He's a devil-kind!" Tohno-san hissed.

That made my blood run cold.

It's one thing to hear someone say something along the lines of "monster" or "demon" or even "oni" when describing a person with what the speaker considers great strength or power. But the very specific use of "devil-kind" not only stood out, but there was a term in there that, briefly, brought to mind one of the various things Tohsaka had tried to teach me about: the various lineages of half-bloods scattered throughout the world. One term used to describe them was _devil-kind._

I felt Tohno-san's hands on my back, as if to push me. "Look after Hisui and Kohaku. Now, go!"

"But you—"

"It isn't a bluff, he'll seriously have that man kill them," Tohno-san said. "I'll be fine. Go!"

I clamped down on a response and nodded. Only partially keeping an eye on the bodyguards, I moved back toward the maids, keeping one arm partially obscured by my own torso. If this turned ugly fast, I wanted to have Tracing as an option—and still try and keep concealed what it was exactly I did.

The movement on my part caused the guards to move perpendicular to me, and I concluded they would not be the actual threat. They were only here to box the targets in and funnel this new person at any potential threat. From the appraisal I'd given before and the vague statements made by the Touzaki head, the fact that former soldiers and trained martial artists were not supposed to be the main threat gave me a sense of uncertainty.

When I was halfway there, the man took one bare-footed step forward before he was leaping across the distance and toward Kohaku. I bit my tongue, abandoned all sense of caution, and charged their way to intercept. I made it between the maids and this Kouma Kishima with a half-second to spare and fell into stance, ready to lash out with a leg and catch him in the sternum, hoping to knock the wind out of him.

The way his eye caught mine, though, gave me an uneasy feeling—

_No, Shirou, get away!_

The only thing that saved my life was how I'd come to trust that sense implicitly.

I took a half-step backward and raised an arm to block just as the man stepped up into my space within the blink of an eye. Faster than I'd seen anyone short of Saber or Assassin move, he swept in and brought a tree-trunk of a limb down to where my face had been only a moment before.

I'm not even sure what sound my body made. All I could hear is the surge of bloody feedback in my ears, the sensation of the world going absolutely mute. His fist pounded into my raised arm and crushed my ulna and radius against my chest. Breath tore from my lungs under the pressure and my feet fell out from beneath me, that half-step back turning into a boundless flight. I rebounded off the side of the armor-protected car and rolled down the street as if flung from a moving vehicle.

If I screamed, I couldn't tell. But I managed to come to an absolute halt with a burst of prana—whether I forced my body to expel it, or Saber's will imposed itself strongly enough, I wasn't sure. I righted myself as fast as possible and pushed past the spotted haziness in my sight to imagine a weapon capable of fighting this beast—

The blur of this man was upon me again, his bare feet slapping across the pavement like a skipping stone across water.

Avalon was only _just_ responding, and I had no other option. I raised my shattered left arm to meet his fist, sacrificing it to draw Caliburn with my right.

He flew at me too fast.

With his right hand, he grabbed my wrist and tore my arm right off my body.

With his left hand, he palmed the flat of Caliburn's blade and shattered it.

Blood splattered around me and I screamed.

* * *

><p><em>It wasn't the blood.<em>

_It wasn't the brutal efficiency of the Kishima demon and his taijutsu._

_It wasn't even seeing the kind boy she still couldn't understand shrieking like a wounded animal._

_What brought Kohaku to her knees, gave her shivers like the coldest Antarctic winter, was the arm that fell to her feet._

_It was not the arm of a person. It was not made with skin and bones, with muscles and blood, with something that looked alive._

_It was like the arm of a mannequin, inorganic, with ball joints and a surface with a sheen._

_It was something unreal, something fake._

* * *

><p>It was not entirely a lost cause.<p>

Though Caliburn shattered, the human-sized slash of light it produced still activated. With reflexes like Illya's Berserker, he darted aside almost instantly from striking the weapon—the same jerk of movement that he used to wrench my arm right from my body. Though he probably could have moved in and struck me once again before I could produce another weapon, he jumped back and glared at me with his good eye.

Though my lungs refused to obey me and continued to scream, I dropped to my knees and fumbled for my damaged arm.

"Shirou—" Kohaku said from behind me, genuine worry leaking into her voice.

I ripped the sleeve from my shirt, then shoved the doll-like arm back into my shoulder. Whatever this guy was, he definitely had enough demonic strength in him—the façade of real blood and bone had been completely ripped from the limb, which shouldn't have happened. Tohsaka had said if I were to be given an examination by a doctor, I should still look entirely real even under a microscope or x-ray.

"_I…am the bone…of my sword_," I ground out.

Tiny blades erupted from my shoulder and pierced the errant limb.

The half-demon watched me like a hawk, his eyes following the path of the blades my body produced as they tried to right my limb in place. Though he fought like a monster, it was clear he had acute awareness and precise instincts when it came to the battlefield.

And my awareness and instincts were fuzzy at best, now.

"Kouma, if you can't defeat the boy, ignore him. I want those girls taken care of." The old man's voice drifted in from the limousine—though now the door was closed and the window was half-up.

This Kouma Kishima gave no word in reply. He continued to watch like a predator waiting for its prey to make the first move.

I tried to consider a strategy for him, let the reassuring presence around my neck give its affirmation.

Like he was a telepath, the man's eyes widened even as his pupils dilated and he took that one step in before bunching his strength in his legs for a charge—

A sensation of heat, sharp and sudden, shot past my shoulders and pierced the cool winter air. It was like how something so absolutely cold momentarily felt hot against the skin, flying around my body and into the space before me, taking every heated breath in my lungs with it.

The man called Kishima withdrew from it; though it was apparent he could not see it, the stinging sensation in the air seemed to be enough warning to him. He leapt back a dozen strides in one go, then struck the pavement with his steely fist. The road shattered with the sound like a thunder crack, though instead of the air supercharging and the sky lighting up, the earth shook like a high-magnitude quake. Street that was once flat to the ground flew up into the air and a plume of dust and dirt obscured the monster from view.

"Akiha-sama!" Kohaku and Hisui both shouted in unison.

Akiha Tohno stood behind me, her hair alight as if mimicking flame.

I turned back to face the enemy and held fast onto my left arm. Blades continued to erupt from my shoulder, continued to skewer the phantom limb, though now, reconnected to my body, it once more appeared as flesh and blood. When I could make out the sensation of a fist forming on the lost arm, I pulled myself up onto my feet, the screeching noise of steel-against-steel reverberating through me.

As the sensation of heat and flame burned the air around me, Kouma Kishima danced amidst the debris he had created. He pulled pieces of the street and sidewalk up with his bare hands and flung them into the air as he moved, obscuring his actions from sight and shielding him from whatever it was Tohno-san was doing. Each piece of concrete or asphalt would flare up in combustion for a moment, and each time he would kick up a new piece and shield himself with that, until he was steadily making ground on us.

"Shirou!" Kohaku's cry rose above the bestial stomping the demon caused. "Get out of the way, I don't want you to get—"

"_Trace, on!_"

I watched the pattern emerging from how he moved and what Tohno-san seemed to be controlling. My mind went to a thick, heavy sword from Western Asia, blade of the man said to have the blessing of Mars though ironically called the Scourge of God. Without my arm functional enough to use a bow, I risked firing the weapon straight out of my mind like a Full Trace.

"_Tear this land asunder!_ _Az Isten Kardja!_"

Attila the Hun's sword struck the earth and, like the myth of its appearance, buried itself into the pavement with a sound not unlike an explosion. Pieces of the blacktop flew into the air at Kouma's feet—and he was forced to take the brunt of the blow by how Tohno-san had blocked him in.

I took a step back, raised my arms above my head, growling past the pain that shot up my left arm as I did so. I reversed my grip, however, since the Kendo-styled swing needed the bottom hand to provide the strength of the swing.

Golden light formed in my hands.

Kouma sped through the cloud Attila's sword caused and charged me, faster than before, the distance between us shrinking as if by magic.

I clenched my jaw and spit out the activation. Though it would not be a full blast, if anything could breach this guy's defenses, it would be the sword called steel-cutter. "_Ex—_"

His palm flew in to strike me at the neck, would have hit me before I could make the swing—

It struck something solid first, as if a burst of energy formed a temporary shield before me.

"—_calibur!_"

He struck me at my collarbone, but he withdrew in the same motion as my swing came down. The aborted move both saved my life and his—my slash caught the very front of his chest and ignited his clothing, though from the resistance I could tell it did not go very deep. His blow hit me hard enough to snap the bone beneath his hand and I was sent skidding back into Kohaku, Hisui, and Akiha Tohno's feet. But the sudden withdraw of force let me know that had he hit, there would have been a crater where my upper chest was supposed to be.

And suddenly, that blazing warmth that was with me, that heat that hung constantly from my neck, the almost-a-voice in my head—

Gone. Even beyond the ringing in my ears and the rush of blood through my head, I could tell.

I tried to stagger back up, but hands held firmly to my chest kept me down. My sight, fuzzy with spots, realized that Tohno-san stood over me, her hair still a burning red, and that she was speaking. I couldn't push past the white noise in my hearing to make out what was being said, though.

Reaching for that presence, trying to draw on the energy that would speed up recovery from what that guy had just pounded into me—I found nothing. She really was gone.

"—So get back, or I _will_ tear you all down with me," Tohno-san's voice fell into a deep register, enough to push into my awareness.

There seemed to be a general affirmation to what was being said—no demonic man tried to move in for the kill, and I could vaguely feel the ground vibrating from vehicle engines being turned on. Apparently, a cease-fire had been negotiated.

* * *

><p>They hauled me back in through the front door; Hisui took me by the shoulders and Kohaku by my feet. I tried to smile at Kohaku, tried to reassure her it was alright, but the haze of pain from my left arm still kept me feeling numb and the way my throat bunched due to my broken collarbone made it hard to breathe. The truly worse part, though, was the absence of the warmth around my neck made me suddenly feel naked and alone in a cold, dank world.<p>

I was set down on a sofa they had in the foyer, a decorative one that felt like the cushions would have been better off being made of wood than fabric. The strain on my limbs went away, though, and I was able to concentrate on pouring prana through my nerved-circuits, trying to forcibly reconnect the work still only half-done by Avalon.

Half-done and not going any further.

Saber was gone.

That last pulse of power that had stalled Kouma's strike—it was the keychain that hung from my neck. He'd crushed it to powder with the same power he had crushed my collarbone. And no matter what her power was, what strength she had within her soul, the container was still just a tiny little object and the magic binding them together fragile at best.

Once again, I was saved, and somebody paid the price for me.

"They might be reluctant now, but they'll press once Kouma is healed," Tohno-san said.

"Akiha-sama," Kohaku began.

"Quiet." Tohno-san flung her hair over her shoulder. "This isn't _your_ deal. It's mine. As the head of this family, it always fell to me to make sure everything went into place. The Touzaki stepping out of line is not any different."

A pregnant silence followed, though I interrupted it ungracefully with a whimper when the last blade withdrew from my shoulder and returned to non-existence inside of me.

All three of the girls turned their gazes onto me. Well, specifically, onto my bloodied limb.

"What _was_ that?" Tohno-san asked. "Your arm, it looked…fake."

Thinking about it with how I felt after that bout only made me want to retch. I scratched at the place where the keychain should have been, but found only Tohsaka's gem hanging there. It occurred to me that I should probably wash the ribbon—at this point, it _had_ to have blood all over it. "Because it was."

"But it looks fine now," Kohaku said, her hands slowly gliding over it. "Not, I mean, _fine_, but, normal…alive. Not like a…a doll."

The way she said that made me perk up to attention, even through the pain and emptiness that still filled me. "That's about right, though."

Kohaku looked at me quite vacantly.

"What you see here, it isn't quite real. It's a fake. A replication." I sighed, tried to quell the feeling like my stomach was going to revolt. I didn't like thinking about the technicalities of this all because it bent my brain in ways I really couldn't quite comprehend well enough to my own liking. "My real body died…a while ago."

"You mean…" Kohaku looked like she was replaying the various conversations we had in her head, trying to connect the dots.

"I tried saving someone. I failed, and this is what happened," I said.

* * *

><p>Synchronized Body, Dreams Above, End<p>

* * *

><p>AN: Yes, I planned this from the beginning, both Kouma's appearance and Saber's disappearance. Just for the record, I don't actually get influenced on a story by what people say they want to see or would like to happen. By the time a chapter is up, I know the major plot points. The only time people suggest things that can affect a story happens when I'm still working out the arc of a story from the beginning.<p> 


	32. SB Interlude II: Damaged Side

Fate/Far Side: Synchronized Body

Interlude II

Damaged Side

* * *

><p>She stared back at him, her red eyes all the clearer by the white she wore.<p>

"It's another bad solution," she was saying, and though Shirou wanted to respond, he found that he could not. "Rin, you're going to have to figure something else out in the long run."

"Y-yeah."

He turned his gaze up to the Tohsaka mage, but it hurt to do so—not physically, but something within him felt like it broke when he did. The lost expression she had was an expression he had seen before on a different figure that, only now, did he see the family resemblance inherent in their features.

Illya withdrew from over him, the sound like muted bells clattering as she did. She looked angelic now, moreso than before, her form more like a white light than a body. Shirou felt as if he should reach out to her, but his body was slow to respond, his mind still too muddied by whatever she had done to give clear commands.

His hand could not reach her, and instead fell to his side, bumping against another. His eyes drew down to the girl lying there, naked and broken, a red ribbon tied to her hair the only thing marking her as the person he once knew. Unlike the rest of them, she seemed to look content, a faint touch of a smile still on her lips—lips now purple like her hair.

"I'm going to close it, now. Sella will help you carry them out."

Shirou managed to cough out a word that might have resembled her name.

"Oh, fully awake, Shirou? That's good." The girl in white smiled and looked like she wanted to reach out for him, but dared not to. "I hoped I could say goodbye."

* * *

><p>The cavern was huge, but linear, so he had made it inside without trouble. Trouble from the terrain, at least.<p>

"You are in the way, Shirou Emiya."

It was not a voice he looked forward to hearing. The boy turned to find the priest of the Holy Church before him, the same dispassionate look on the man's face as when they had first met apparent. He cringed. "Kirei Kotomine. What're you doing here?"

"What a foolish question." The man walked past the boy, as if he were of no greater concern, though as Shirou followed deeper into the cavern after the priest, he continued to speak. "The Holy Grail War is, of course, under the supervision of the Church. It is my duty to see it to the end, even if it has been perverted as it has by one of the participants."

"What do you mean?"

There was something like dour amusement in the man's tone, though Shirou could no longer see his face. "I should think it obvious. You met him, didn't you? Zouken Matou."

Shirou thought to the man that had tried to kill him, the one with—_that_—as if it were his to command. "He's…one of the Masters?"

"I suppose you could say that, though I believe he carries no Command Seals upon his person at this rate." They both naturally fanned out as the cavern grew wider—somehow, despite the fact that everything in his body screamed revulsion toward the priest, Shirou knew that, for now at least, they were on the same side. "He joined late, and has now twisted the function of the Grail to his own ends, it seems."

Shirou had little understanding of how that could be, or what this Zouken's motives were. But the image of the person he had under his control was what spurned him on, the fear of what that meant making him feel sick. "I think Tohsaka and Illya should be in here somewhere."

"Excellent. Perhaps you could stow your great and radiant light so that everyone within ten kilometers does not know of our approach."

Blinking, Shirou looked down to his hands, to where he still held Excalibur from his fight with Gilgamesh. It still radiated golden light, and his thought process had not included why, exactly, a dark cavern should have been well-lit. "But what if we're—"

"I should think it no less than blatantly obvious that swinging a weapon such as that within these walls would be the death of all of us, not just your enemy, Shirou Emiya."

Even if it was true, he _really_ didn't like it how the priest pointed it out.

* * *

><p>It was a monstrous <em>thing<em> that Shirou had no words to describe. It looked like a tower, yet not. It looked like it had form, but clearly was without one. It looked alive, yet it seemed dead. A great shadow spilled forth from the top, cloaking it like a black curtain, though still translucent enough to see the shape beneath. It glowed with a kind of light, just enough by which to view the interior of the cave, but not enough to fully illuminate. It was a perfect darkness in that way, just enough to comprehend the terror, but not enough to understand.

At the base of the monstrosity, she stood like a statue—or at least, it was like she stood. The blackness flared out from her waist like some kind of flower, so he could not see her legs. Her head lulled to the side as if she were unconscious, and he shouted her name.

"Sakura!"

Though he moved to do something—anything—about the vision presented before him, a hand reached out of the darkness to grab him at the elbow.

"Shirou," Rin hissed through clenched teeth, "she isn't alone."

He followed her gaze to the figure next to the girl he knew, a slight figure, hunched over by age. The man named Zouken Matou seemed to be gazing upon the darkness, did not seem to have noticed their approach.

"Are you guys alright?" Shirou asked, trying to keep his voice low. He asked on autopilot—when he took note of Rin, he noticed that she was alone. "Where's Illya?"

"Ducked out on me, the brat." Rin gave a helpless gesture. "If you…" she drifted off, then seemed to come to a different thought, her eyes widening. "How the hell did you get away from that goldie anyway?" It seemed as if they might just be there for another hour trying to get straight what all was happening around them and get all the immediate questions they had out into the air.

"It…well, I think—"

Kotomine interrupted them. "The explanation of your exploits, which I am certain are a fascinating tale, must wait."

The darkness before them moved.

It was not exactly like shapes formed. They were not shapes, yet were—they seemed like giants, but within the confines of the cave and with little light by which to make them out, whether they were themselves beings of great stature or the shadows moved in a way to make them appear large was unclear.

"How very rude of you, to intrude upon our territory," the haggard voice of an old man rose to meet them. "I was going to let the Tohsaka and Einzbern brats bear witness, since it is only fair that their houses be represented." Zouken cast a look over his shoulder, the dark spots in his eyes shaking in amusement. "I don't think anyone invited you, however."

Kotomine made a hum of laughter. "As overseer designated by the Church, it is of course part of my duty to be here. What magi have decided means little to us if it is believed our presence is required." The polite back-talk Zouken had started was of course natural to the priest. "Though it is as you say, perhaps it is only correct to allow the members of all three houses bear witness."

"Then you—"

The old man's amusement was cut off as Kotomine continued on as if he had not spoken. "And so, it is my duty to declare that this Holy Grail War has been concluded. The winner of this competition is most assuredly Shirou Emiya."

Zouken lost the look of humor. He hobbled back around to regard the priest and his declared winner with undivided attention. "You have a twisted sense of situational understanding it seems."

Kotomine spread his arms wide and his lips took on a beatific smile. "The winner is the one who stands remaining with a Servant intact. All of you have depleted the 'Servant' aspect, it appears, though it seems not wholly in the case of Shirou Emiya."

The fact that the priest seemed to know a bit about his situation bothered Shirou greatly.

Zouken chuckled, something like a half-wheeze, half-groan sound to normal ears. He motioned to the shadows that had formed, wavering in place like they were cast by flickers of light. "I suppose that could be. So, then, if I kill him, I will be the undisputed winner, isn't that so?"

"Shirou…" Rin grit out again. She was setting herself for an attack.

"As you no doubt have it in your head to save the girl," Kotomine said, "I would suggest you find a way around those creatures. I will deal with Zouken Matou."

As if Shirou needed to be told.

* * *

><p>Light vanquished the darkness.<p>

The only way to rid the world of a distortion as great as these shades was a mystery of equal or greater power. Though the use of Excalibur would have brought the cavern down on their heads, a different yet similar weapon with a lesser output would suffice—

And with the prana roaring through him, striking with Caliburn might as well have been like slashing with Excalibur.

The first time took a moment—getting close to the shadowed form was difficult, as it moved with the speed of something much smaller—but Rin managed to deflect a blow that would have swept Shirou aside with one of her spells. He stabbed the golden sword into the familiar and released a torrent of light, momentarily overtaking the dim glow from the Grail itself.

The darkness roared, and was gone.

From beyond the darkness, Zouken scowled. He tilted his head toward them, and the other shadows turned to the boy and his light. By that light, more shadows seemed to appear, barring the way to their goal—

But the momentary focus on Shirou was enough. Kirei Kotomine shot past the familiars, his own blades forming between knuckles as he made for Zouken Matou.

Who in turn raised a hand as if in direction, and a swarm of insects buzzed up from his feet and toward the Executor. The priest charged through the swarm, triplet blades in hand, somehow faster than had he even been using the Reinforcement magecraft Shirou thought he might know. He deflected bugs in the shape of blades with his own weapons, and instead of stabbing at the man amidst the horde—

Punched him right in the chest.

The bug swarm seemed to overtake the old man, turning him into an amorphous blob of scuttling insect bodies. They then broke down like a splash, falling to the ground like water, then reconstituted once again some meters away from the priest, the gibbering sound like laughter following them.

"If you are here for a reason, I would suggest you get to it," Kotomine said loud and clear, not to the one that he fought but the one who had accompanied him in.

Though the priest could not see it, Shirou nodded.

Rin was not as content with Kotomine's suggestion. "Saying it like we had options," she growled.

As if in response to Rin's proclamation, the glow from the Grail intensified and something like the sound of rushing water came. From the mouth of the orb hovering above them spewed forth a jet of darkness that swept down to the ground and splashed over the flowered form that held Sakura and rolled over the feet of the priest. Zouken Matou was not taken in, though, hovering like a swarm of beetles just above the gathering shadow.

"Dammit, get out of my way!" Shirou shouted, slashing into the next shadowy familiar.

With the third familiar destroyed, only five remained—either the collapse of darkness around Sakura or the fact that Zouken was too preoccupied to direct anything seemed to work in their favor. Shirou cut into the fourth shade, then slashed at range from there, a wave of light striking the fifth. Rin exploded another set of gems as the last three attempted to crush them with ribbon-like limbs, blasting apart their tendrils long enough for Shirou to move through them.

They were halted in their advance by the black mud sliding along the cave's floor. Though it seemed that Kotomine had done something to no longer be affected by the spreading heat, both Shirou and Rin knew just by looking that to touch it would be a gamble for them.

An impasse.

* * *

><p>At the mouth of the cavern, a figure in white finally made her appearance.<p>

* * *

><p>"We can still do something," Shirou said, above the sound of bugs buzzing and the priest chanting some kind of aria.<p>

Rin stared at the boy with a sour look on her face. "I _hate_ it when you say things with that tone. It means you're about to suggest something really _really_ stupid."

"If I'm not out…blast it. Blast it all. I don't care how," Shirou said. "But…I'm not giving up on her yet."

And despite the evil emanating from the wave of power, despite the heat that rolled out like it could sear a body right to the bones in a split second, Shirou dove into the blackness headlong.

* * *

><p>It was like burning, but he could still feel. It was like drowning, but he could still breathe. It was like dying, but he still felt the pulse of blood through his veins.<p>

The darkness ate him, then ate him again, teeth mashing into his body and acid burning into his skin, like being chewed up and digested, before the process repeated itself. It pulled at every inch of his body like a quagmire, sought to drag him deeper into torment until his body gave out and his mind was destroyed.

He pulled back, forced his way forward, the radiance kept within him protecting his body from absolute destruction.

He wandered for an eternity, or an instant, his feet dragging like iron weights, his shoulders pushing against the barriers between him and the next thing, until she was there, like him, bathed in this darkness, though unlike him, slowly eaten away by it. It wasn't as if he could recognize her by "sight"—especially since even his own sight kept dissolving away and reemerging as if he were reborn—but he could tell, then, what her presence within was, could never mistake it for anything else. He knew it well, the girl that might as well have been a part of his family, strange and dysfunctional it may be.

"I can…I can save you…"

Through the agony of reaching out to grasp her, past the feeling like she was ash beneath his fingertips, he ripped the light out of his chest and pressed it to her—

That was a mistake.

The moment the light passed through his hands into hers, the pain increased a thousandfold and tore at him from his feet first, wrenching him back like spikes through his ankles. He tore his body from that pain, only to increase the pain as his flesh and bone shattered as he moved, until it felt like a beast raked its claws down his spine, until it felt like the cuts into his skin seeped venom—

Until it felt like that day, so many years ago, when everything had fled from within him as he burned up from the outside.

Still, unlike before, unlike the memory of hearing the cries of pain and anguish, seeking relief, seeking his hand to be freed, he was able to grab hold of the other person, able to force the burning red meat of his skinless hand to take hers—

Blades formed in his palm, impaling her wrist, the only grip he had upon her.

He pulled until he could pull no longer.

* * *

><p>What he pulled out was already gone.<p>

The residual power that had been in Avalon had healed her body—but he found he could not pour energy into it himself. The prana from Saber still coursed through his body first, and he had no way of exchanging it from the outside into something else before running it through his circuit.

And even if he could, he was in no condition to in the first place.

His body had melted. It was something less than human, no longer the form of skin and shadows over bone and muscle. Rin would tell him later that he looked like something out of an anatomy book, all red and boiled, his skin melting away and his organs a mass of ugly shapes beneath charred bone. The fact that he still breathed, still kept a heartbeat, seemed impossible itself when his organs did not even seem to be affixed to a central system anymore or kept within the confines of skin tissue.

She was a perfect being in juxtaposition, a girl with smooth, unblemished skin, yet unlike him, with no injuries by which she could have ended—she did not breathe, did not see, did not live.

"Step back," a childish voice said, though not addressing him.

He could hardly register the feeling of something next to him move aside, of another something moving up to take its place.

"Get that golden thing back into him. It might be the only thing that makes this work."

* * *

><p><em>I may not have taken life, but I am responsible for lives lost.<em> He had said that to Saber, and it once more rang true in his head.

In that place between wakefulness and sleep, he could feel two things within his head.

One spoke like poison injected into his body. _You are cursed forever, even with this thing you keep inside of you._

One spoke like the sound of a smile, the look of laughter, the touch of a kind gaze._ You are given a moment, a single reprieve. _

The first reminded him of the truth. _You failed once more to save a life capable of smiling back at you._

The second told him a lie. _You saved me every moment we were together. _

Both had the voice of one he knew.

Had known.

Would never forget.

* * *

><p>The priest had defeated the old man, but had fallen into the darkness in turn. Though his body did not crumble away, it could not raise a hand to stop what was to come.<p>

* * *

><p>The girl in white spoke to the boy with the ethereal body.<p>

"Goodbye, Shirou. If we ever meet again in another life…maybe I'd like to be your real big sis then."

One after another, he was unable to save any of them.

Ones who cried for salvation from flames.

A king who believed herself inhuman.

A hero who laid his fears bare.

The girl with the smile that saved him every day.

The girl who had come for revenge on him, and instead—

—and instead, they saved him.

The priest had called him the "winner."

If Kiritsugu Emiya had been the "winner" of the Holy Grail War before, Shirou understood now what "winning" entitled.

* * *

><p>"I think…I need to go."<p>

Rin knew he wasn't talking about simply leaving her room.

She had a feeling that other men might have looked away when saying this, unable to face what was being said and who it was being said to. But Shirou sat there, the dull look in his golden eyes something of a mirror to her own. It was probably one of the few things that kept it from getting embarrassing, since the bedsheet barely covered them both.

"Where to?" she asked.

He gave a helpless shrug. "Out of town, at least. Now that school is over…shouldn't be a problem."

Rin nodded, slowly, aligning what she knew of his thought process into the inevitable conclusion. "Do you…are you going to come back?"

"Yeah." Shirou made sure to say so emphatically; the look she gave him demanded so. "I think I just need to clear my head. I'm not _going_ going." He cocked his head to the side. "Weren't you planning on London, though? I mean, it shouldn't matter anyway, right?"

The girl looked away, a bit of her old haughtiness returning. Though not every bit—her chin still didn't quite raise in the same way and her frown was marred by the relief in her eyes. "I…people are probably going to probe around for what happened, still, even now. I mean, I've had to turn away one or two magi who have come from the Association to investigate. I don't really want to leave the town, uh, undefended." She did clench the sheet to her chest tighter, bunching it up in hand. "I just…I was thinking of putting that off for a little bit too, you know?"

"Tohsaka…"

"Make sure to keep in touch, okay?" she said, fixing him with an even stare.

He gave a slight grin at that. "I doubt I'd survive returning if I didn't. Fuji-nee would kill me."

"Yeah." Rin gave a grin of her own. "And be ready for training when you do. I'm going to fix you right up as a magus if it's the last thing I do."

"On second thought, maybe staying abroad would be a good idea…"

She hit him with a pillow.

* * *

><p>Shirou clenched his fists as he waited for the train. The transfer from normal body, to partial-ether body, to entirely-doll body had left him feeling a little strange, a little out of place. Even if he looked the same, there was a sort of sense to it, a disconnect, that he was still trying to get accustomed to. Rin had explained that his existence was somewhat akin to a Servant, so the detachment he felt might resemble what someone like Saber or Archer might experience. Almost like how Servants had differing levels of ability from when they were alive.<p>

With the warmth that hung from around his neck, though, he was certain it was in the opposite direction. It was a strange, symbiotic relationship unlike that of a master to a familiar in that he certainly had to generate prana and infuse it into Saber's presence for her own prana to fire up, but at the same time what she generated actually returned back to his body to suffuse his existence. One literally could not exist without the other. And with the fires like a dragon's breath roaring through him, it really felt like he was actually stronger than before. His body was not his own because it was somehow, in at least the regard of ability, vastly superior.

He reached up, brushed his fingers along the ribbon that held everything to him.

Make use of this opportunity, he told himself. If he was going to somehow gain something, once again, from the suffering of others, he had to keep that in his vision.

Rapid beeping from the train alarm assaulted his ears. He grabbed his pack and moved up the platform as the cars whooshed in.

* * *

><p>Interlude II, Damaged Side, End<p> 


	33. SB Chapter 7: Dangers Surround

AN: Sorry, was distracted by other stuff.

* * *

><p>FateFar Side: Synchronized Body

Chapter 7

Dangers Surround

* * *

><p>The evening was uneasy, like a hostage standoff, and the backwards way it all came together was somehow appropriate. Though the Touzaki and their secret weapon had withdrawn from within sight of the Tohno mansion, it was very clear that they had not come so far as to give up now. Supposedly, for all intensive purposes, Tohno-san was "in danger" from Kohaku and Hisui, so the Touzaki, next up in the ladder of family hierarchy, would be required to step in to maintain the stability of the clan.<p>

I couldn't do much. There was excess feedback occurring in my connection to my body—the lack of Saber's supernova of a presence made everything I did feel sluggish and lethargic. I could still maintain control, but it was like a high-end car that required very refined gas suddenly being given the cheap, standard stuff the clunker down the road drove. It would work for a bit, but the vehicle would _not_ like it, would not perform in its upper capacity, and would probably end with the engine choking up and dying if continually pushed.

From the upper-story windows I set up a periodic watch, moving to the different sides of the house to check for anything out of place. Though, for some reason, I had this sneaking suspicion that nothing like a surprise attack would happen. If that were so, they would have hired a sniper or some kind of shadowy assassin, not a battleship.

Although, I suppose they could just shell the entire place instead of kill individuals, if that was the comparison…

"He is a distant relative of the Tohno family," Hisui said. She apparently felt the need to try and pull me away from my self-appointed sentry duty, so she stood in the doorway as if she were waiting on me. "He stayed here for a time under Makihisa-sama's orders. Akiha-sama made him leave after her father's death."

"Tohno-san must have a lot of fun whenever the whole family gets together."

Hisui, of course, did not crack at that. "Emiya-sama, you should not get yourself involved in internal affairs such as this. It would only trouble Akiha-sama and nee-san further."

"I'm already involved, you know. I'm not exactly the kind of person that can just up and leave in this sort of situation. Or even leave a fight such as this unfinished." Forget dreams and ideals, I think I'd fail as a man if that were so.

"He has a point." Tohno-san wove past Hisui, flipping her hair in a gesture that still seemed directed at me. The red haze had yet to abate and now she looked vaguely like a heroine from some anime I had once caught. "Hisui, can you go make sure your sister isn't going to go throw herself outside in front of the bus? I don't really want to talk to her right now."

Though I swore that Hisui would have said something like _no busses drive past the estate at this hour_, the maid bowed and was gone without a peep. Either she was also concerned about her sister's mental state, or Tohno-san was going to do something scary and she felt it best to vacate the premises as fast as possible.

Tohno-san eyed my left shoulder for a moment; though I had changed clothes to get rid of the shirt with the torn sleeve, I had apparently made an impression. She was probably looking for signs of my body's fake nature, though now that the flow of energy through my body was re-regulated, it would not look doll-like without some kind of interference. Unless some kind of magic or mystery tore the illusion away, I'd be as normal as anyone else. Though maybe "normal" is not the right word.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

I shrugged. There was a lot more to it, but, I guess the answer was "Okay. I heal quickly." Though now, that sensation deep in the pit of my stomach was gone—I would not be healing _that_ quickly any longer. "What about you?"

Tohno-san's eyes went up, as if she could spot her own hair in a way that was kinda cute, actually. It made her look confused and cross-eyed. "Probably better than someone who just got his arm ripped from his body. All I did was dye my hair."

Blatant lies, but that was fine. We both knew it. "I've only ever heard of people like you once or twice. I didn't even know if they would exist in such a…well, uh, normal state." Again, probably not the right word, but, whatever.

"What, you expected demon-bloods to live out in the wilds like animals?"

Well, that was scary. I didn't realize anyone's glare could frighten me more than Tohsaka's. Maybe it was the fact that I knew Tohsaka would never actually kill me—she couldn't embezzle my income that way—but I had no idea what Tohno-san would do. Although I had the impression it involved hot coals or fire pokers. "No, I just, uh…you know, you think of things like that, it makes you think of adults in a faraway land, not teenagers that live up the street." Saying it aloud like that does feel a little embarrassing in hindsight though, since the girls that lived near me turned out to be magicians and all.

"I suppose." Still, Tohno-san kept her arms crossed and watched me like a hawk, ready to pounce on any further ill move I might make. "The same could be said of magicians."

"Kouma Kishima, on the other hand, is about what I'd imagine. He hits like a freight train. Who is he?"

Tohno-san paled a little. It was subtle, though apparent compared to her almost-glowing hair. "A monster, so I understand. And now have seen firsthand." She turned her gaze out the window I had been peering through, as if we could see the man beyond. "My family has…a history. Tied to any number of other families with interesting ancestry. We kept an eye on each other, so I understand. Kouma was part of a line distantly related to my family, and according to my father, probably the most powerful person to come around in many generations."

Well, of course, _that_ figures. It just wouldn't be fair if he wasn't the most powerful in generations. "What's he doing with the other family? The one with the suits and cars?"

"Touzaki is all about maintaining a certain amount of our history and lineage. They aren't the most influential, but they have more ties to this side of the family, the side that the rest of the world doesn't see. If this had to do with our monetary situation, it would be someone else," and Tohno-san shuddered at that, "but since my life is what's at stake, they're taking it as a threat to the blood lineage. That's the excuse, anyway."

She had argued them down during the fight somehow and I wondered about that. "So this guy has some vested interest there too?"

"Kouma was trusted by my father, so I guess that is the reasoning. I don't know if he would understand that the Touzaki would love to use him as an excuse, though. If I died in the collateral damage, they could just thrust responsibility on him." She rolled her eyes. "The business side of my family probably wouldn't interfere, then, since the one in charge of that family branch really have much say about the other side of this." She muttered something, and though I had the impression it was so under her breath it wasn't meant for me to hear, I could still make out, "I would rather die than have _him_ interfere."

All this talk about family branches and different sides to the Tohno was starting to make me feel a little dizzy. I understood well enough, but the formalities were all starting to sound really shallow and motivationally annoying. "So, Kohaku…taking her is just an excuse?"

"Probably." Tohno-san sighed, her shoulders rising and falling much more than a simple breath. This was clearly a deep-seeded issue. "I don't know how much she's fanned the fire, though at this point I really don't care. And I'd just want to yell if I talked to her now."

"Why keep her, then?" I mean, not that I wanted Kohaku fired, or anything, but it seemed strange that Tohno-san would put up with this if it troubled her so.

Tohno-san looked clear away from me at that, though whether to hide embarrassment, anger, or anything else I couldn't tell. "Because I owe her. I can't really blame her for anything she's done…it's complicated. Maybe you should ask her about it."

"Well, I would, but she seems to be avoiding me, and I'd rather keep watch…"

She motioned to the light about her hair. "I can use it to create what you might call a 'boundary field' around the perimeter of the house. I can't guarantee it will do anything to Kouma other than singe his arm hairs, though, if I spread it out like that. I'm no Magus Killer."

"I see." It answered one issue, but between that and her talk of magicians earlier, it was starting to paint a picture in my head that this was more than just what I'd told them about my body. "So you knew who I was?"

"I had a suspicion. Your father's name was whispered like a monster to all kinds of beings, not just magi. When Kohaku first brought you here, I wondered if she had gone to the trouble to hire you."

Though in any other case that might have made me laugh, all things considered it would probably be in bad form now. "I don't actually have any of my old man's talents, and I'd hardly consider myself a Magus Killer." Though, I guess my abilities probably fell closer to that or an Enforcer than they would an orthodox magus. "I can't, for instance, generate my own boundary field, and I don't really have the tools to detect and break through them." Outright destroy, maybe. Break through them? No.

"I gathered as much. Watching you, it was clear you aren't really that kind of person. You don't seem like you can conceal a part of yourself."

I gave her a frank look. "What, like, being not fully human, or having experienced things even most magi never encounter?"

Tohno-san shrugged. "The way you talk about them, though, it's simple and straightforward, almost stupidly so. It was pretty clear during your story that you think of it nothing more than as a natural occurrence. It isn't some kind of abnormality that a normal person would be depressed over, or curse, or throw into the back of their mind and flee from even the mere thought of. That would be normal. You just talk about it like it was Tuesday."

Probably exactly what she was talking about, I shook my head. It really wasn't an issue that needed addressing at the moment. "Regardless, I'm not a professional in that way. I really did just kind of bump into Kohaku earlier. But, well, knowing now the other side of things somewhat…you know, they say that the supernatural tends to attract its own."

"I suppose."

I thought of Tohno-san's offer, her comment on creating a boundary field. From the little I could observe earlier and what I knew of demons and half-demons, it seemed rather like an ESP ability rather than magecraft, though. "If you do that, though…I mean, I've heard a little about half-bloods and the inconsistent control they sometimes have over magic." Though, really, at the same time, they often had way more ability than the average magi. It just came naturally to them.

"I'll be fine," Tohno-san said, huffing and crossing her arms. "It's _you_ I'm worried about."

"Er, well, the body will be fine if I have time to adjust, though there are a few issues that I'll probably have to figure out something creative to solve in the future—"

"Not what I was speaking of." She made a _tisk_ing noise from between her teeth. "From the things you told us about and just watching you from before, it's pretty clear you're the type to run in and do something incredibly stupid if left to your own devices. I really can't have that on my conscience if it was possible to keep you from dumbly charging into a situation you can't easily get out of."

"I'm not _that_ bad."

…Anymore, at least.

"One last thing," I said, pulling myself away from the window. "If you owe her, or whatever, then…how far are you willing to take this? I mean, I really want to help, but…" the annoyingly cynical and practical side of me needed to know, though, "if I can't stop him…"

The fierce look in Tohno-san's eyes abated, and she somehow seemed—even though I gathered that she was younger than Kohaku and Hisui—like an elder sister concerned for their younger. "You put them first. That's what I always intended. Though," she let out a sound that was half-laugh, half-snort, "I'm not sure how much I can protect her from herself."

* * *

><p>The mansion's emptiness began to bother me as I made my way to the kitchen. It suddenly felt like an old, foreboding place with all sorts of nooks and crannies for darkness to gather now that we had to wait for something to happen. Though I wasn't exactly scared, and it was still light enough out that the place had yet to take on a full gloom, it was just enough of a sensation to feel like something could jump out from some corner when one was not looking. The ticking of old clocks echoing through the halls only added to the feeling like something was waiting to happen and all we could do is batten down the hatches.<p>

"Emiya-sama."

Hisui stood at the bottom of the stairway, a tray of food in hand. "Did Kohaku make dinner?" I asked.

"No. Nee-san is preoccupied." Succinct and straightforward, though even for Hisui, I gathered the situation was just too complicated to explain without going into a dissertation. The maid held the tray out and nodded toward one bowl. "I thought that it was still important that people eat, however, so I prepared something."

"Probably a good…thing." My statement wavered, though, as I took the offered dish. It resembled a French Onion Soup, but I could make out the scent of the broth, which, uh, smelled like curry. That made my stomach do flip-flops as it tried to decide what to make of it. "Is your sister down here?"

"She is in her room. I believe she wants to be left alone, but…" Hisui caught my eyes with an intense look of her own. There was something there that reminded me of how this girl had been the only one to not bat an eyelash at my arm earlier, and I had this feeling that she was about to surprise me again. "I think it would be different for you. Zero plus zero is still zero, and imaginary people do not have problems with impostors."

So, Hisui knew or suspected what I'd been slowly picking up on. I guess that was only to be expected, being sisters and all. "You'd better get that food to Tohno-san before it goes cold."

Hisui nodded, bowed, and was on her way. Though her words still bounced around in my head.

Only fitting, being a zero and all.

* * *

><p>She was playing a video game.<p>

The incongruity of it all somehow just settled in the back of my mind as _only fitting_ and I let myself into her room when Kohaku didn't respond either way to the knock on her door. She simply sat with her back to the frame of her bed and stared at her television screen as a guy with a sword larger than his body slashed through a mob of enemies. It did not look like she was having trouble with the game, which was something I understood—this seemed like something she might do simply to have as background noise, something mindless and simple to drown out the myriad of thoughts and feelings that must have been running around her head.

I set Hisui's meal down on Kohaku's desk, noting with some amusement that Kohaku had an untouched bowl as well. I couldn't help but grin, and like the masochist I was, I took a spoonfull of it for a taste.

Hmm, someday, I would have to make this for Fuji-nee, just to see how she'd react.

Though I could make a joke, somehow I knew it would be met with silence. So I just set the bowl aside and sat on the edge of the bed, watching Kohaku as she mashed the attack button and her character corresponded by flinging an enemy back with a swing of a Berserker-ish sword. I glanced at the game case to see what exactly she was playing, and nodded to myself when I found it. The talk we had before about knights and damsels came into focus and I wondered if she had chosen this game on purpose or if it was entirely subconscious.

"You know…" Kohaku began with a completely straight, conversational tone, halfway distracted like anyone would be by playing a game that called for some amount of concentration, "when we were little, Hisui-chan and I were very different."

Though I hadn't met Hisui, the fact that what Kohaku had been like before and what she appeared as now clearly had not lined up. It had taken me a while to figure it out, but with all that had happened and all the thoughts of back home I'd been forced to recall, it had finally added up in my head. Sakura was like this, as I'd originally met her as Shinji's absolutely silent younger sister, though she had slowly opened up. I guess if Kohaku had been an actual part of my life, I might have been able to see that transition.

In the game, Kohaku mounted a dragon and took to the skies to shoot down her enemies in some medieval equivalent to a dogfight. "I was quiet. I didn't say much. Watched everything seriously, like an adult. Hisui was the opposite. She could run and play and be free. She smiled all the time and played with Akiha-sama and Shiki-san."

She was silent for a long while after that, blasting targets away with fire. I'd never really played many games like this, though I could see it was something of a cathartic experience. A part of me wondered what Saber would have taken from it.

Out the window, the sky finally fell to darkness and over the sound of the game I could hear footsteps occasionally move either past the doorway or elsewhere in the empty house. I made sure to keep my ears to the ground, metaphorically speaking, if for some reason we did come under attack. I could vaguely sense that Tohno-san had in fact somehow surrounded the house with a sort of field—it, well, sort of felt like her, stern and unyielding but not unnatural or unpleasant either—though what it would do if that beast charged in here was unclear.

"I don't really know what to describe it as. Nothing really fits. I hate this place, but I love things about it. I hate the Tohnos, but I love Akiha-sama and Shiki-san. But I hate them too, for never doing anything and being happy instead." She expertly wove past her foes and dashed headlong to her chosen targets. I had the feeling she'd played this level multiple times until she had memorized the computer's positions and strategies. "You know, I've read books on how a spouse will often ignore it if their husband or wife is abusing their children. Or how spouses often enable their other when it comes to excesses or addictions. I've always wondered if the same could be said of siblings or children that aren't directly involved."

Yeah, I figured as much. The distinct absence of Tohno-san's parents was foreboding enough. The fact that I'd added up how Tohno-san's father's room was next to Kohaku's only completed the thought. Usually a servant would have a separate quarters, not a room located like a wife or mistress might.

A sad girl in the rain, somehow shocked that anyone would just offer her an umbrella.

* * *

><p><em>She is like the one you couldn't protect. The one who became an empty vessel for me to inhabit. The one whose insides were torn away by a madman's violation every day, while you sat perfectly happy in your pursuit of a fool's dream.<em>

Without Saber's presence, without the fuel to the barrier of light still in my chest, the whispers of that curse trickled down into my ears.

Truth's voice burned from my fingertips inward. _If you are a savior, you would have been here for this one. Instead, now, the evil that tormented her is gone. She is now the dragon, a poison-bearer and pariah. To save her is to save the dragon, not the damsel._

The lies came from within—they weren't her thoughts. _If you saved her, you would be saving me. Saving me like you could not have before._

* * *

><p>"I tried mimicking Hisui-chan. When she found out…it upset her. I thought, if I acted like she did, she would remember what it was like. It became…I don't know. Second nature. Some kind of act that we lived all the time."<p>

The game came to a break. Kohaku let it sit without continuing onward.

"I've been doing things against the Tohno since then. I tried to pull Shiki-san back here, tried manipulating Shiki-san and Akiha-sama's family into situations, and when everything else wasn't working out, started to slowly poison Akiha-sama's food. It…none of it worked, and Hisui never tried to regain her old ways." Kohaku's head leaned into my knee, though if I had to give a reason as to why—it would be impossible to explain. It wasn't a desire for comfort, or even an expression of closeness. It was…

Something drawn into one of its own.

"I tried to ruin Akiha-sama…ruin the Tohno name…and when Hisui was far away, I was going to kill that name." A shudder ran through her, though I doubt she even noticed. She wanted to, but didn't. The same cycle of impossible reconciliation. Nothing was going to come up as a solution because there was no black and white path. Everything was jumbled up and complex. "I just…I…"

_I didn't know what I was doing in the first place._ It was unsaid, but I could add it up. It's a thought that has sat with me for a long time, always in my head in the years since the war. What it meant to follow Kiritsugu, why I was so driven to do so even after everything that had happened, how everything even Saber said about my goals being wrong only served to push me further.

Fronts. Faces. Masks.

Imaginary personas and impostors.

"Even so," I said, "what's important is the now."

She looked up at me, slowly, as if realizing for the first time that I was there. No overblown expression on her face, no sense of a façade. She just looked sad and confused. "I told you, didn't I? I'm no princess, no damsel. I'm the one that wanted to burn everything."

_She is now the dragon, a poison-bearer and pariah. _

"I was afraid this…that this would happen, that you'd get caught up in all of this because of me, that you'd—"

I interrupted her. "I have a dream, you know. Actually, well, that's wrong. It isn't my dream. I'm not even sure what the dream is supposed to mean, to be honest. My dad told me that he wanted to be an ally of justice. So I've wanted what he wanted. For a lot of reasons."

She blinked up at me.

"So, well, there's really nothing you can say. I want to get caught up in this. Because it's what an ally of justice would do."

* * *

><p>Synchronized Body, Dangers Surround, End<p> 


	34. SB Chapter 8: Reality Within

AN: Sorry for the delay. Had some emergency time with the family that kept me away from the net a bit, and then the Taylor Bridge Fire in Washington is within walking distance of where I live.

* * *

><p>FateFar Side: Synchronized Body

Chapter 8

Reality Within

* * *

><p>Night had fallen. An automatic timer on Kohaku's desk lamp set the device on, and I could finally make out the maid's expressionless face from something other than the ghostly glow from the television. A bit of a trade-off, though, as peering out the window for signs of trouble no longer worked with the glare from inside and the darkness beyond.<p>

"Ally of justice, huh? I think you'd have to have me as an enemy if you really wanted justice."

I thought about that, shrugged, tried to get the image of Tohsaka giving me a disapproving look out of my head. "It's kind of ironic, or fitting, or even contradictory, but I just want to save people. That's what all I do boils down to. I don't really care what you've done before. Even if it were a jail full of unrepentant murderers and rapists, I would still save them if given the chance."

Kohaku looked back to the television. "That seems really…naïve. And pointless."

"My world is a small one," I said, my fingers stroking through Kohaku's hair. "It always has been." _He was always alone, intoxicated with victory_. "I've always been seeking something, I don't know. Maybe just some kind of conclusion in my mind. But," I sighed as I thought back, "I'm sure there was a good reason for it. Maybe still is."

Kohaku tilted her head such that she could look up at me, amber eyes somehow brighter in the faint light despite the fact that the golden color in an iris did not actually shine bright like real gold.

"You said you want to burn everything; I have had everything burned. It's been pointed out to me countless times. I'm just abnormal like that. Fire was everywhere when I was born, and that's all that I've ever known. So when I see others happy, smiling, enjoying life…it feels right. It feels like the _only_ right. So…if you say you're burning everything now, if that's what this all is, then that's fine. If you can come out of it smiling…well, I'll deal with putting the fire out, then."

She didn't say anything, though the look in her eyes was pretty clear: _It isn't that simple_.

I reached down and cupped her cheeks in my hands. "There. That's what I've been looking for. That's the expression I remember."

The maid blinked at me. "Hmm?"

"The fake looks, expressions, laughter…it confused me. I don't remember meeting anyone here with that kind of personality. But I do remember this, this person."

"Someone who is utterly confused by everything that comes out of your mouth?"

"Yep. I remember that too. You looked like you'd never seen an umbrella before."

The sound Kohaku made was something like a scoff and a snort and a laugh, like she couldn't decide what her reaction to that was. More and more, it was feeling like I could actually detect the real person here, one that was probably just as confused as anyone else under the age of thirty that has had many traumatic things occur in their life. Probably quite a few older than that too. "When Hisui changed, when she was suddenly serious where she once was carefree…it was a bit of a shock, to me and to everyone else. She used to be…energetic. Bubbly. Hmm, maybe not the right words, but, you understand?"

I nodded.

"So I told her that I would just trade rolls with her, because it really felt like that girl had somehow become a victim of…circumstances." She shrugged helplessly. "I'm not sure if she consciously chose to be like I remember I was in my youth, but it ended up that way. We just turned around and became each other. I wonder if this all…wasn't just to preserve that girl. I don't know."

She was repeating a bit from what she said before, but, again, there was something new here, something a little deeper than before. "I don't want to…_harm_ that girl, if that's what you're doing." The idea of keeping another person alive—even if they weren't actually dead—made a lot of sense to me. It was, I guess, part of the reason I tried so hard to mimic Kiritsugu. And while I couldn't exactly mimic the others…I tried to keep in my head everything that they had once said, tried to make sure that what they felt and the choices they made were within me. Even if some of those things were really painful.

"No, I don't know…it's not like that quite anymore," Kohaku admitted. She gave another shrug. "We've been doing it for so long now, I'm not even sure what we're doing anymore. Maybe it is time to just…move on. Change, or grow up, or whatever it is we're supposed to be doing."

"Maybe."

She then came out and said it, the thing that I knew she was dancing around. "If…I'm really going to 'move on,' though, there really isn't much I can do, though."

"I'm sure the Japanese Public Security Intelligence Agency is looking for recruits such as yourself."

She laughed, and though it was closer to that fake laugh of before, there was an undercurrent of bitterness there that was irreplaceable. "I don't think an intelligence group is going to trust me when a young woman I've known all my life can't."

I didn't argue with her, though I felt like it. Tohno-san didn't seem like she was untrusting of Kohaku—or, she was, but for completely different reasons. The kind of untrustworthiness one held from being family. The same untrustworthiness I felt toward Fuji-nee. Or Tohsaka, I guess.

The thought of the witch back home—or, well, both witches back home—gave me a bit of an idea. One that probably would be funny in other circumstances, since the idea only came to me when prompted by the idea of family and trust and images of Fuji-nee and Tohsaka left in charge of my place. Again, though, I kept quiet, since really, I should run this past said people first. Things in life had already conspired to see previous loved ones forced out of my life, and I didn't want any of the same things leading up to that to happen here.

So I said, "I'll trust you."

The laugh that rose from her throat was a lot more bitter this time, though there was something to it that also made me think I'd somehow cracked through her façade for good. She leaned into the side of my leg like all the tension in her back had gone out. "That'd be pretty silly too, Shirou. I haven't told you complete truths either."

"Then, you _didn't_ like _The Last Samurai_. I have you now."

"Mm, I liked it fine. Your nori, though, was terrible."

I stared at her. I mean, I really stared, like I could bore a hole into her head with my eyes. "You can't mess up the taste of nori. It's _nori_."

"It wasn't the taste, it was the technique you used to roll it around the sushi."

I couldn't help but growl low in my throat. "You're distracting me from some kind of bomb you're about to drop, aren't you?"

Kohaku's sigh was one of suffering, a martyr's sigh. "They need to stop educating boys. It becomes such a hassle when they can see right through anything you do. Or at least, they should not allow them to play games like Shogi or Othello."

"It wouldn't help. I'm absolutely useless at Shogi." Although Othello was a different matter. I think that had too much to do with some kind of cosmic irony, though.

"I hate video games."

I blinked at her. "So the truth comes out."

"I hate them." She gave me this _look_, though, that said that despite the declaration against such a mundane, silly aside, it really was something she felt. "I hate them with a burning passion."

"Why?"

"Because you can win against them. It makes you feel like you could actually win in other things. Even in story-driven games that end badly, you accomplish the feat of reaching the end."

I clamped my teeth down on any kind of response I had to that. There we were, closer to what I thought might be the truth, or some kind of truth, _a_ truth…something. I wanted to refute that, argue with that, but something about the way she looked at me told me I was better off keeping quiet.

"I don't really know what I'm doing. I don't really have even a goal in mind anymore. I did things to keep my mind turning, but…you know, I never really thought about what would happen at the end. I never even considered to consider that ending." She paused, probably to think on that last bit and whether it even made sense, though it made sense to me. "Games all have a nice, wrapped-up conclusion and end result. I don't think the world is like that at all." She'd turned to face me at that, though she now leaned back toward the television as if she could use her head to point. "With movies, maybe I don't feel as bad with them because I'm just watching. I'm not really participating."

_I liked it fine_, she had said about the movie. Because she was watching it as an observer.

She was participating in this, these plans she had, but had no sense of a conclusion. But she also liked movies when she was outside of the action…

The distance she had on everything was somehow familiar, a paradox not unlike mine, I guess. She distanced herself to feel better, but in being distant she's not fully invested, but by participating, she has no goal…

"You're like a watcher," she said, leaning up, planting her hands on either side of me like she was going to corner me into some kind of confession. "You see this all from the outside. I think I have you to blame for this all falling apart, you know."

"I'm sorry," I said, swallowing hard.

"You look at me and everything I see there says you're somehow forgiving, like what I am isn't terrible, like I'm not some kind of monster bred by monsters. But if I pull you in, if you get involved, you're going to see something different, and there's not going to be some kind of clean goal or ending, you're just going to get used up and burned out…"

I snorted at that. Nothing to burn out here, really.

"You know, I'm not _that_ girl, though…I'm really not." She met my gaze steadily, though the sad acceptance in her eyes was once more something I recognized—it came from that same place, that same girl that just viewed the world completely differently than I could ever wrap my head around. "Another lie, another thing I don't really know. I was joking about being pure, you know, because, I'm…I'm not, and I don't think you should trick yourself into believing it. I'm _really_ not a damsel. I think you're still convinced that I am, even if I keep telling you I'm the dragon."

"You might be surprised at how backwards 'dragon' and 'damsel' are in my head," I said. Or how oddly close I can view them, anyway.

"I'm also more calculating than that," she said, her voice lowering. "I don't really…I'm not the type of person that decides things on how they feel." She looked sad for a moment, before her face colored. "I also know that if you're going to keep this up, if you're going to think about facing the people outside, you…will need help."

"I…yeah, that's probably true…" I wasn't sure I liked where this was heading.

Suddenly, the way she was leaning over me was a lot more intimate than I really thought it was to begin with. It didn't help that I was on her bed or that the large, empty house really helped emphasize how much privacy we had. Even with a scary oni-demon-person-thing possibly waiting outside.

"You know…" She kept leading off like that, and really, I didn't know, and I was really starting to pay for it. "There's a reason Akiha-sama isn't like Kouma. She has demonic ancestry as well, but unlike Kouma, she can keep it controlled."

"Er…" From where she was going before, I didn't exactly see this coming. "That's…neat?"

"What if I told you that the reason she can do that is that Hisui and I are magi as well. Different from you, but surprisingly similar in a few ways?"

Kohaku moved over me, slowly, and I couldn't help but back up in turn, until my shoulders hit the wall her bed was flush with. "I would say that I'm not exactly surprised. There's a lot about this family to find out about."

Nodding, Kohaku moved until she was straddling me—something that made my eyes waver from hers a bit. Wearing a kimono like she did, to spread her legs like that meant the outfit rode up on her until I could make out the pale skin beneath. "You said that as a magi, your power is built around one thing and one thing only. Hisui and I, we're like that too, though our power doesn't influence the world around us. It can only affect individuals."

Actually, that did make a fair amount of sense. Demonic heritage, from what Tohsaka had told me, was a rare case when it came to manifestation because it was so overpowering. Either it showed up in tiny ways to a lineage that snuffed out in a generation, or it consumed the person to the point that they became more animal than man. "You can help her contain it?"

The maid nodded. "It's why we're here. To keep the Tohno bloodline under control." She leaned forward on her hands again which brought her face very _very_ close to mine. "It isn't just with demons, though. We share life force. From what I understand of spellcasters, that's one half of your energy source, isn't it?"

Other conversations I had with Tohsaka were suddenly running to the front of my mind. Things she had considered doing when confronting the situation between Saber and I. Things she had considered after the war to help me maintain the body I now inhabited. Things she even had to consider when it came to regulating Saber's energy, which was like a nuclear reactor next to my tiny motor. "Actually, it's all of my energy source. I don't…er, I'm kind of a terrible mage. I don't use the Greater Source, I only interact with it."

"And that power is decreased after the last fight."

"Yeah." I could swear that sweat was going to become visible on my forehead. "Kohaku, I'm not…that's not…I don't, er…well, I mean, I _do_, but…" Sharing life-force required either some kind of magical contract, or it required…a kind of _other_ contract, between bodies.

She tilted her head. "Whatever do you mean?"

Oh boy. If she was going to yank the rug out from beneath my feet now, I was never going to live it down. "I…what you're suggesting…I kind of get the picture…"

"And?"

"And…um." I really hate how the transition between my brain and my mouth often just didn't really do things justice. Really. It wasn't a wonder that my ability with foreign languages was horrible. "I…it's not like, I don't want to, or, um, that it has anything to do with you, but, you know, I just…uh, I, uh, I don't want you to feel like, well, _obliged_, or something, because that's kind of what it sounds like, like you'd be doing it because I'm getting myself involved, and, that's not why I'd want to, um." Thank you brain, I can already tell you're doing your best to emasculate me.

Again, I caught a glimpse of something beneath all of Kohaku's front, something equal parts sad, angry, confused, and hopeful, though it didn't last very long. She settled on something closer to sad, though there was a bit of amusement there too, probably coming from adding up all of the stuttering. "Just because there are different reasons, Shirou, doesn't mean we can't."

She kissed me then, hard and demanding, like she was convinced I really was going to be put off by her presence and make a run for it at any moment.

Well, to hell with the niceties. Really, if I could consider the finer details of my argument amidst that, I was probably not fit to call myself alive.

My arms came up to hold her until she was no longer over me but atop me, her hips settling down onto my lap and her body firmly to mine. Her hands went up to glide up my neck and around the fringes of my hair, making me shiver—or making her shiver, I really couldn't tell.

I wished it could be different. Something in me said that, in other circumstances, this _really_ should be different. That for Kohaku, anything but desperation would be a better situation for this kind of thing to occur in. I would have liked to explore that more, was even thinking that I should just forget getting back home or looking around town to just be around her, let this all come more naturally. I thought that she deserved that, or wanted that, or maybe even that _I_ wanted that, considering everything else.

But something else told me…

That I might not have another chance, nor another way, to let her know any of that.

She had my shirt off before I really knew what was going on, though she stopped to trace her fingers along the invisible seam where my arm had been detached from my body. It looked like nothing was amiss there, though the touch that Kohaku gave was absolutely perfect in where it had occurred. She must have paid close attention. I'm not even sure I could have visually identified it—it took a sense of feeling it to know.

"It looked like it hurt," she said.

Before I could respond, she lifted herself up onto her knees and pulled the trailing ends of her kimono up. It was all I could do not to just sit and stare, the lines of her legs coming up to meet, a thin set of cloth the only thing covering her. What was striking was the fact that I'm _sure_ she didn't wear such kinds of underwear normally: transparent, slightly stringy, something one wore to be seductive.

I looked up to her and, though her cheeks were red, she said, "I told you, I'm more calculating than you'd think."

Brain-and-mouth division only rapidly expanding, I blurted, "Did you think you'd _need_ to seduce me?"

The startled look she gave me seemed genuine, though I couldn't even begin to fathom the why. And I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to figure it out even with a full blood supply to my brain.

My hands came down until they met revealed skin, sliding along her thighs before coming around to the flesh of her rear and sliding beneath a rather daring backside. I suddenly had the desire to just consume her somehow, pull her close and tight to me until there was no separation possible.

"I…didn't know if you thought I was attractive," she said, barely a whisper.

I blinked at that, unable to process a coherent thought, and though she blushed at the confession, it did not keep her from continuing. While my hands held her clothes aside, she pulled at mine until they were open, helping me slide them off until I could kick everything off with my feet. She allowed the same to be done with her, though when one leg was clear, I could no longer resist and pulled her back tightly until we had to move to one another only by touch.

I held her body to mine, my arms locked around her waist. I held her there as long as I could manage, until I was sure our breathing was in synch, the blood pumping through our bodies the same. The natural way she responded as I started to rock up into her was practiced, intuitive, until she was moving absolutely in time with me.

Though she never said exactly what had happened…I could guess.

There really wasn't anything I could do to make it up to her, to even keep this from somehow reminding her of something no person should ever have to experience. Again, if I had some kind of words that could console her, I'd voice them, but all I could do was something that—

"Just like this," Kohaku whispered in my ear, like she was reading my mind, "and it'll be fine." She rocked her body slowly, the lines of her body swaying perfectly, her hands brushing up the back of my head and through my hair. Even with the gentle motions, though, she would tighten herself around me, pulling at my body greedily, until I was certain this would end all too soon.

I tried to shake off the feeling that this was all for me, though, despite the way Kohaku seemed to control the pace—I pulled at the tie to her kimono, started pulling at the fabric surrounding her. She gasped and tried to stop me, though the fact that I was a man and just had more strength than she could manage was to her detriment. She flushed red as I pulled the clothing from her shoulders until she was nearly as naked as I was.

"You're terrible," she muttered.

But the way she squeezed around me as I pressed my lips to her bared skin told me that I probably wasn't _that_ terrible.

* * *

><p>The voice of the one who cursed me echoed through my mind.<p>

_She will die, _it said_, and there is nothing you can do to save her._

_No, not even that._ It amended itself, an amused laugh bubbling up, like the sound she used to make when he did something silly in the kitchen, or when Fuji-nee would make a joke. _You _can_ save her. But she will only destroy herself._

_She will destroy herself, like everyone else you failed. Like Illya, like Sakura._

_And your life, which "needs no meaning" will return—once again—_

_To being alone on that hill._

* * *

><p>I jumped awake.<p>

The faintest light from the early morning greeted me.

Growling at myself, I clambered out of bed and threw on the clothes that had been left discarded all about the room. No sign of Kohaku, and I had a feeling that I knew why, but I also knew she could not be too far ahead of me: the bed was still faintly warm from where she had been. Too, though I didn't know exactly how Tohno-san's ability worked, I had a feeling nobody could just walk right out of the mansion without something happening that was obvious to everyone inside.

I spotted the tray of drugs on the nightstand next to the bed as I finished dressing. Chemistry was never my strong point, though, and I'd never had access to any kind of medical schooling, so, what it did I could only guess. Why it wasn't working, too, I could only guess, and _that_ list was way too long to consider. I did still feel kind of groggy, though that might just be from not getting much sleep in the first place, or the fact that my sleep-depravation before was countered by a mystical device that could make you immortal.

In shooting out of Kohaku's room I almost slammed head-first into Hisui. The maid was probably coming to find her sister, even. "Kohaku's already up, I have a bad feeling, go get Tohno-san," I said. Or at least, I think I said. It kind of came out as a jumble.

Before Hisui could respond, I was down the hallway and around the corner. There were windows there that faced out toward the main gate. Though I couldn't see anything beyond the everyday early morning glow from outside, the urgency I felt didn't diminish. I made for the kitchen to make sure I wasn't just going crazy—

Empty. It looked like nothing had been touched since cleanup the previous night.

"He's outside!" came a shout from elsewhere in the house. Tohno-san's voice. I could feel a prickly sense of warmth rise up at that, part of the boundary field that Tohno-san had erected from what I could tell.

I didn't make for the front door, or any doors for that matter. Instead, I bolted for the nearest staircase to the second level and toward the front face of the house. There were windows overlooking the grounds that I needed. The only conclusion I had come to from thinking about the last fight was I needed to play this as smart as possible for any chance to come out ahead.

He was just within the perimeter of the grounds. Just from a glance, it seemed as if he had torn down the gates with brute strength. Kohaku was slowly walking out toward him, and I brought to mind the various plans and strategies I'd been considering yesterday.

"This isn't 'moving on' if that's what you're planning, Kohaku," I shouted, pulling the window open.

"You should stay in bed, Shirou," Kohaku said. She turned to look over her shoulder up at me. "You're in no condition to come out here."

The single eye of the demon-man came up to glare at me. I readied myself. "Coming out there wasn't what I had in mind." I put as much strength into my voice as I could and said, "Kouma Kishima, you'd better turn back now. I don't want to hurt you."

He regarded me not with amusement like some arrogant gold-plated men might, but with cool deliberation and a sense that screamed _it's always the quiet ones_. "Pain is ephemeral. You threaten no one unless it is with _death_."

I guess that's all there was to it. I pulled the bow I had made previously in preparation for any attacks that would be made on the mansion and brought to mind the first weapon I wanted to start this show off with. The black sword twisted and convulsed into a jagged form like lightning. "Crimson Red Vermillion, meet the Scarlet Hound. _Hrunting_!"

The shot hit him before he could move out of the way—this guy moved like a Servant, but I doubted many Servants could avoid it at this range. Unfortunately, at this range, I also couldn't break it, else risk enough of a force backlash that would just wipe out the entire grounds here.

That might have been a mistake.

When the dust the arrow had kicked up cleared, Kouma was still standing. He had an arm raised—the weapon had pierced clean through it between elbow and wrist, but had stopped shy of hitting him at the shoulder where I had been aiming. He then reached up with his free hand and tore the arrow right out of his body like one might peel a bandage off a small cut.

I shoot a bullet that surpasses Mach speeds, and he still manages to block it. Shit.

The demon's eyes came up to glare at me. If what I saw before was anything, it said that he was a pragmatic fighter and would eliminate a threat like me as a priority instead of taking Kohaku and running. Said action would put him on the defensive—but if he took me out, that would leave him unmolested.

He made for the mansion and I knew I was in trouble. When he bounded up to grab the crown of the front doorway, I knew I was _screwed_.

Unlimited Blade Works was not an option. It took time to deploy, time I couldn't afford when fists were flying at me. The golden Servant was one thing—he stood back, never pressing the attack more than a burst of weapons at a time. Kouma was not like that at all: a whiff of blood and he was on his game. He knew not to play with his food. And then, even if the demon was in a sporting mood, I was already in the red with energy. If I could manage it, it'd pull all the energy I had left out, and the boundary field would only last a few moments.

I was going to have to rely on Projection-only—

Kouma took one swing from his arms, flipping up into the air and coming down with his feet onto the windowsill that I had fired from. In that time, I managed to back up, discard the bow, and had another weapon in hand, one that was untested and would probably fail at an inopportune moment—

But I needed the chance it might give me.

The demon was before me as fast as before, his fist ready to pound me at sternum height. The sword I had created knew to block, had instincts far superior to my own, and instead the fist met the flat of the blade just above the blade-guard where the sword was widest. A shock went up my arms from the blow and even with just that, I thought I might have heard something break in one of my wrists.

Oni before me, dragon-slayer between us. Arondight was imperfect just like any elemental-forged weapon, but its memory and history might be able to contend with this monster. Saber's presence, in those long and lonely days since the end of the war had confided in me the fact that if one wanted close range superiority, I had to go with him instead of her. And Archer's shot on Berserker had given me that one glimpse I'd needed to make that happen.

The demon reared back and struck once more. The blade of the perfect knight flew faster than I could react myself and slashed at him in turn, parrying aside his blow.

I heard footsteps behind me and could only guess that Tohno-san or Hisui had rushed up to check on the situation. I tried to shout, "Get back to safety!" but the moment I devoted any semblance of brainpower to that action, Kouma blocked one swing from the black sword and, in one fluid motion, struck it with his free hand _in the direction I had been swinging_. Braced against his iron skin, the weapon groaned, bent, and then broke as my image of it failed.

And when my eyes raised to glance up at the wound in his arm the sword had managed, I caught a glimpse of red flaring into the black halo of his head.

"Shirou! He's inver—"

Akiha Tohno's voice was cut off as the hand to Kouma's unharmed arm came up, grabbed me by the face, picked me up in place, and brought me crashing back into the floor like a rag doll.

I heard and felt a _crack_ from within my body, and the world went dark.

* * *

><p>Synchronized Body, Reality Within, End<p> 


	35. SB Chapter 9: Hopes Together

Fate/Far Side: Synchronized Body

Chapter 9

Hopes Together

* * *

><p>It was like swimming in acid, a constant burning sensation until everything melted, dissolved, and then reconstituted to begin the process again. The sensation was present before, in that haze after being struck by Kouma the first time, and it made sense that it would exist when consciousness fled.<p>

Somehow, though, the sleep in Kohaku's embrace had been dulled, though.

If it was like an acid bath, the presence stood atop it, a mere toe in the pain, hovering over me like a demon at night readying to smother me in my sleep.

It said, _Get up, so you can fail again_.

Peering at it finally gave it form. It shaped itself into the one vessel we were both familiar with, both understood. A teenage girl with unnatural hair and sad eyes. She lowered herself to her knees and looked over me from above, appearing upside-down within my vision.

_Senpai, you can't stay there, or you'll just die._

The world around me was no longer simple darkness, but the dank, cold, eerie loneliness of a cellar. The burning was less like liquid fire and more like the sensation of things moving over me, through me, burrowing through skin and gnawing on muscles and fat, tearing as they dragged along my chest before diving in to feast on everything beneath. Each felt the size of a small animal, the size of a juice box or a cell phone, yet they dug into invisible pores, one for each gap along my body regardless of whether I could see it with the naked eye.

It was a hell Tohsaka had not allowed me to see, had only vaguely described. She had raided the Matou mansion while I was still stuck in an unresponsive ether body to find materials to sell for the Aozaki-crafted device I lived in now. We had pieced together what had gone on with the Matou after the fact, and, maybe in some ways, not knowing exactly what it was that had lurked beneath Shinji and Sakura's daily lives was worse than knowing in full.

"You made it through alright," I mumbled. Or maybe I said it normally, but my own voice sounded muted.

_Only to die elsewhere, consumed again and again._

"I failed you," I said, again muffled by something. Or maybe it was more like distance—my body was something I was technically remote-controlling, after all. Maybe here, with the curse of Angra Mainyu torturing it, I could only watch from afar, feeling it but unable to fully connect with it. That distance made me only feel even more sick, reminding me that I was less human and more puppet now. A feeling she must have felt too, in her last moments.

The figure above me nodded. She reached down to cradle my face with her hands. Though the burning sensation was just the same as before, the darkness melting away my body over and over, something there was different, though, beneath it all.

_Get up, Senpai, so you can fail again._

* * *

><p>Even in the darkness that surrounded me, I grabbed hold and pulled.<p>

The blow was like nothing I'd ever felt, and I'd been burned to a cinder and skewered by bladed bugs. It decimated the old structure of the mansion, plowing me right through the floor, the framework, and all the insulation. But in that, somehow, I still managed to keep a grip on his arm, so when I went careening down into the floor of the first story, he came with me. And though he still had some control, though he still had the strength to take it fine, somehow, in all of that, I'd managed to twist us in such a way that we both took the hit, so he couldn't tumble out or slam his body into mine to finish me.

Wood and dust and all manner of old building materials fell around us. The ground caved slightly where we hit, snapping part of the wooden floor but stopping short of the support beneath. Kouma, though on the back foot by the impromptu ride, still reacted with superhuman reflexes and spun along the floor to catch me in the gut with a kick, sending us both sliding in opposite directions, me like a shot projectile, him like a fueled open flame. I hit a wall and, maybe because of some kind of fight-or-flight response in me, leaned into it to stagger up as fast as possible.

Only to get hit back down. Kouma rebounded off the side of the main foyer staircase, rolled forward and with the force of his motion drove another kick into my solar plexus. I couldn't tell if the _crack_ noise that sounded was from bones in my body breaking or the wood framing of the wall giving way behind me. I do know that I dry-heaved and fell face-first into the floor, completely unable to catch myself.

* * *

><p>More than the pain from the curse was the pain from knowing the curse only fought with the truth. Lies were mere counterpoints to what was real, and the truth hurt all the more for the context lies gave it.<p>

A shadow consumed the girl who had always brought morning with her. She died alone, thinking her sister had abandoned her. I would never know the full extent of her torture, of how she suffered every night after I sent her home.

I could have saved her.

The shadow whispered, _Get up, so you can fail again._

* * *

><p>Spots of black bubbled through my vision. I managed to half-crawl, half-roll away from another strike. Kouma's fist smashed into the floor where my head had smacked the ground hardly a breath later.<p>

Pushing past the pain and shock and confusion, I conjured up the image of the first weapon I could think of. Probably because of Kouma, the first thing I thought of was the giant stone sword of the Berserker Servant, something I associated with both _pain_ and _relentless assault_. It formed in hands much too small to grasp it fully, though I created it ready to strike, over my head, gravity giving me that extra boost. It came down on the demon before me faster than I could have ever done myself, the speed of the swing straining my muscles even to keep up.

Kouma took the swing full-blow to his right shoulder. The wooden floor beneath his feet cracked and cratered, he flinched for the first time from the sheer mass—

The weapon broke apart like crumbling earth.

The red haze that had turned the man's hair crimson flared up until it was like I had just sparked a fire with stone flint against his steel body. He flew to me in the backdraft of the swing—

* * *

><p>A darkness was where another girl walked so she could protect someone she hardly knew. She died alone, thinking her father had betrayed her. I would never know the full extent of her anger, of how I had stolen the love and attention she should have received.<p>

I could have saved her.

The darkness sang, _Get up, so you can fail again._

* * *

><p>There was a hole in the wall. Fire was beyond it.<p>

I didn't remember hitting the floor, but I dragged myself upright anyway, using the sofa as a handhold.

My body creaked and kept reverberating like struck iron bars. I didn't think I was actually hearing anything, though, so much as feeling it and my ear drums picking up on the vibration. Whatever was outside of my body wasn't making sound any longer unless that sound was the white noise of a waterfall.

The Great Fury of Ireland, Moralltach, weighted my hand as I readied for the next onslaught. It killed many beasts of legend in the hands of its owners—

This beast plowed through the opening in the wall until it was a wall no longer, whipped right up to my left and slammed into me with a rising uppercut. The swing I responded with missed him completely, and in the haze of pain I remembered somewhere that one owner of the sword had actually been gutted by a great boar despite the weapon having killed many other creatures.

Burning heat followed me, or maybe was with me the entire time. His fist had felt like it was literally on fire, so maybe my body had been seared.

* * *

><p>An emptiness took one other girl who carried the weight of distant dreams. She died alone, both here on a simple mistake, and there under the crumbling eaves of her world. I would never know how to answer the dilemma she had presented to me.<p>

I could have saved her.

The emptiness ordered, _Get up, so you can fail again._

* * *

><p>He looked confused, his one eye staring at me in incomprehension.<p>

I could hardly even see him. Blood was flowing over my eyes. Even without that, my vision was wavering, and not from the heat haze he seemed to be giving off.

"Do the spirits of the afterlife not know your name?" he said. Somehow, his quiet voice made its way all the way past the noise of my own body.

Kanshou and Bakuya flew through the air even before I realized what my muscle memory was doing. The demon moved up and crouched beneath their arc as another pair spun toward him from the front, forcing him to leap up and over. I charged forward on heavy legs and tried stabbing a third pair into him, but the weapons merely broke against his chest. He kicked, but my own forward momentum brought me beneath his strike—

He landed behind me and must have twisted at the waist, slamming an elbow into my back.

* * *

><p>Unaware of loss, nor aware of gain. Logically, I knew that I had lost them, but it really did not register in my mind as a tragedy for me. It was a tragedy for them, because they had other things to live for, and I could have given them that opportunity. It was a tragedy for their loved ones, for the ones they had already lost, for the ones that had believed in them and depended on them. What they were to me was so irrelevant compared to what they were to others, what they were to themselves, what they could have been for any number of people.<p>

But they died alone, knowing I was unable to save them.

The voices all echoed, maybe even caused the reverberation from my body, _Get up._

* * *

><p>The unused bed to a room I had been in only once caught me as I flew from Kouma's last attack. I repaid it by bleeding all over it. I spat a lot more liquid than air as I tried to regain control of lungs that felt pierced. Blood kept cycling up my throat with each breath I tried to take until all I could taste was that weird metallic bitterness only the dead could enjoy.<p>

Everything in my vision was shuddering. I couldn't tell if my eyes were finally refusing to keep steady or if the house was in fact wavering from an earthquake. Even the pictures I kept trying to concentrate on in my mind's eye wavered. Tunnel vision was also creeping up, so it was something like looking through a set of binoculars and constantly fiddling with the focus.

Kouma kept after me, jumping through the hole that had once more appeared in the wall. I rolled from the bed to the floor and tried to throw the mattress up and obscure his vision, but the entire thing caught onto me or something near me. It buffered me as the meaty fist crashed into my body once more, plowing through the cushion and blowing it apart. The padding slowed the strike just enough that I merely staggered backwards instead of taking flight, through the doorway and into the hall.

He was after me in an instant, his foot coming around, confined by the tight quarters of the hall. It grazed me, tearing skin right away from my body, and I dove aside and crashed myself into Kohaku's little entertainment center next door.

* * *

><p>But…<p>

Even if it is just a curse, I was glad to see you again.

Even if your image is smiling at me writhing in agony…

I can suffer anything if it means you really would be okay. And…

_Get up._

* * *

><p>He loomed over me before I could pick myself out of the detritus of furniture and decoration. His fist came up to smash my head flat. I could only raise my arms in a token defense.<p>

* * *

><p>There's another girl that I've met…<p>

She's a victim that I met in the spring.

She's a damsel like fair Lorelei.

She's a dragon that wants to curse her own existence.

I gave her an umbrella before I knew I wanted to save anyone.

But she knew, somehow, and…

_Get up, Senpai!_

* * *

><p>Prana that should not have been there fired up through my nerves, roaring like—<p>

—A lot like—

* * *

><p><em>The blow was repelled by the swords jutting from his bones. The iron skin and vermillion power met the body of swords and fire-born blood. <em>

Kouma's hand came away with blood that was not mine. Multiple abrasions lined his knuckles.

My world was attempting to keep my body in one piece. Paradoxically, it was also tearing my body apart. Blade-like scales had replaced damaged skin. If disruption of my natural state had started to occur, the doll structure of my body would probably be entirely replaced by this reality attempting to correct itself like the real world always did to abnormalities.

The demon made an animal noise and raised his other fist.

_His body was pierced by a thousand blades. He charged forward, unaware of anything._

I hit him. I pulled up and slammed my shoulder into him. He couldn't punch across and behind his body, so he couldn't strike my head. I hit him and moved, pushing, until I had thrown him through the wall, breaking through support struts and insulation and all sorts of things that would have maimed or killed a normal man.

Even with blades protruding from my body, he brought a knee up and bunted me clear. I hit the floor and tore it up, scraping everything into garbage and dust. I probably resembled a meat tenderizer more than human.

Kouma came at me, forgoing all pretense at martial skill. He raised his uninjured fist behind his head to strike me with all the power he could manage—blades be damned.

_Withstanding each blow, the weapons torn from his body were replaced by more._

I raised an injured fist to meet his, blades protruding from it like a disturbing metal knuckle. Our fists met and I felt things shudder inside—not bones breaking but swords snapping.

His greater force sent me skidding back further down the hall and into another living space. Metal clattered between him and me as part of me broke down and came off, and looking down at my hand I could tell that his iron skin had pulled weapons right from my very existence right out of my body. It made me appear like some sort of metal reptile that was shedding scales—

Like living creatures, more blades crawled out of the gaps in my body, once again covering my hand and fist.

_He may never hold close to him the happiness he sought. But if they were smiling, even if he lost them—_

Kouma once again tried to leap in and drive his fist—now cut up like he had, in fact, put it through a meat grinder—into my head.

I rolled aside once until the blades caught the floor like the world's strangest climbing pick. Using the jerking motion from that, I drove up to my feet and grabbed him around the shoulders, clawing into him with protrusions from every part of my body. My feet carried us up and across the room until I could do what he must have been doing to me—

_He could continue endlessly—_

We crashed through one wall, into another room, and then hit something more solid that stopped our momentum. Kouma buried a fist into my left shoulder and I felt things tear, but my body spun with that force until I had come around with my own fists and punched with my whole body.

The stone and brick wall that had stopped us before did not do so again, and we crashed through.

* * *

><p><em>The girls, all three of them, had moved to the safety outside of the house. They saw the explosion through one side and chased after it, to see the demon and the boy both outside.<em>

_Something like an animal roared from their direction, though it sounded nothing like either of them._

* * *

><p>I tore up the back patio of the house as I stumbled away, my feet still carrying me like I was still pushing the monster-man further from the house. When my knees made noise like the cargo door to a semi truck, my legs locked and I swayed in place, forcing myself to turn around.<p>

Kouma staggered back against the part of the wall that I had not plowed us through. He moved warily, off-balance, almost like an injured man. I was sure, though, that it could not have been simply due to the cuts I had made to his body nor the trauma of being tossed around. He still did not breathe heavily, did not look like he was being worn down—

But something shifted in him, like he was no longer in full control.

It didn't matter, in the end. If I could get the moment I needed, that would be enough. Despite all the nerves in my body starting to go haywire, despite the crushing pain that made it hard to breathe, there was still one thing I managed to wrap my mind around.

It should have been gone.

It really should have been gone.

If the curse was the only thing that kept me conscious, that made me keep getting up, the roaring inside me was the only thing that gave me any energy left to fight. The source of it all was gone, destroyed, but somehow, beneath everything else, there was still—

The image in my head was rapidly fading. It was, in fact, I'm sure, completely wrong and absolutely nothing like it was before. But the energy deep inside was just enough, the flow that had kept the image perfect amidst all the other imperfect copies, it still, briefly, for the last time it would ever be a part of me, managed to power it. Just enough, just barely enough.

I couldn't even lift both arms to grasp the golden sword. I couldn't even pull myself completely upright. I could only raise the weapon above my head with one hand and, at the figure with a halo of red, swung with every nerve in my body screaming at me to stop.

The slash was nothing like it had once been. Rather than a tsunami of golden light, it looked more like something out of Kohaku's video game, the one with the guy and his oversized sword. It generated less of a blinding flash and more of a bright flare, striking Kouma across the chest and throwing him back into the house—

Which lit up briefly, a haunted mansion suddenly backlit by a streak of lightning.

Footfalls came up behind me and hands, multiple hands, touched me at my shoulders and back, clearly afraid I would keel over right there. Those hands then gripped tighter as the house rumbled—something I could feel but couldn't actually hear—and although everything in my vision shook as my blood kept pumping, the house did look like it was now moving on its own, not because I was just going crazy, and suddenly one side was caving in on itself—

Like my body could independently sympathize and respond to that, I felt my legs finally give way and the organs inside of me start to fail. Blades retracted from flesh and bone, giving way to wounds like I had just been thrust onto a bed of needles. The Reality Marble withdrew from my internal structure and gave way to the destroyed body beneath.

I fell back into what I thought was Kohaku's grasp, her arms encircling my shoulders, and though she started to speak, I couldn't hear anything beyond the rush of sensory overload as my body tried to regain its normal functions. I attempted to watch her expression, aimed to understand what she was saying by vision alone, but my eyes seemed to overclock and everything went into such sharp detail that it hurt.

I wanted to know…

Wanted to know if she would be able to smile again…

But I couldn't keep my concentration up, couldn't keep my eyes open, and finally just allowed myself to stop worrying for one moment.

* * *

><p>Synchronized Body, Hopes Together, End<p> 


	36. SB Epilogue: Far Side

AN: Just one more chapter after this.

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><p>FateFar Side: Synchronized Body

Epilogue

Far Side

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><p>"Seconds, please!"<p>

I was not aware that people such as Taiga Fujimura-sama truly existed. Television would have one believe it so, though I understood that television was a warped and inaccurate source to form an opinion. Still, what Fujimura-sama called "seconds" was actually her third bowl, and it did not appear as if she would be finished in the near future. The side plates she had still bore food to flavor her rice.

Nee-san did not seem to notice, however, and simply formed another mountain of white grains, handing it to the high school instructor. "Taiga-san really must be famished?" she asked, rhetorically. Fujimura-sama was _always_ famished except for those few moments directly after a meal.

"You have no idea what today was like, Kohaku-chan" the striped woman replied, launching into her daily story of woe.

It was a routine, now, one that still took getting accustomed to.

Six months had passed since the fight that had destroyed the Tohno mansion. Though it was a certainty that Kouma Kishima still lived—Akiha-sama said that she had methods to detect whether he had perished on the grounds, and he had not—the overt destruction had caused enough of a problem that the local townsfolk had taken notice. Akiha-sama used the attention to thwart direct intervention from the Touzaki and slip into the public eye just enough that further action would have to be of a mundane source. At least for the time being. With the place so thoroughly wrecked, however, it was a matter as to where Akiha-sama would be staying until repairs could be handled.

"Fortunately," the Tohno heir had said to police, "I have recently come into contact with the head of the Fujimura group. They have agreed to loan me a place they have been looking over for a while."

All of the police officers investigating the disturbance had not inquired further, considering the Yakuza association that came with the Fujimura family. Though the Fujimuragumi influence had not reached into Misaki City, the name was synonymous with Fuyuki and its surrounding communities. Too, the fact that Akiha-sama was powerful and influential herself implied that even the mention of such a name was a suggestion to stay out of the detail work.

The place, of course, was the house once owned by Kiritsugu Emiya.

Though old and traditional, it was certainly a large enough house for a business heiress to be comfortable in. The current owner had left it in the care of the Fujimura family, who in turn had left it in the hands of leader Raiga Fujimura's daughter, Taiga. Though, as Taiga Fujimura herself was incapable of maintaining the grounds, the schoolteacher had been allowing one other person to live there part-time, a tenant named Rin Tohsaka.

"Kohaku!"

Nee-san jumped in her own skin, an action between a full-body shiver and the start she gave on the occasion we watched a horror film.

Akiha-sama stormed into the room. With school over and her transition into the adult world complete, she had taken to wearing outfits that were more formal in nature—though it seemed some of the influence came from another source as well. The blouse and skirt she wore were elegant and conservative, lending her a few years of maturity in appearance. The only problem with that was the pair of slippers she had chosen to use: the fuzzy pink clashed with the darker reds and blacks of her outfit. It was not as if she needed to wear those slippers either—many other pairs had since been bought for the house, but she always insisted.

"Eheh, Akiha-sama, I thought you would take a lot longer," Nee-san said.

Arms crossed, Akiha-sama said, "I told you we would be back regardless to what the others decided on."

"But Taiga-san was in desperate need of sustenance and the food was already ready," Nee-san said. She was wilting into the opposite direction, however, like Akiha-sama's gaze pierced her body and then magnetically pulled her further down as it did.

"Ugh, just forget it," said the woman that followed Akiha-sama in. "I can't believe you actually have energy to complain. Those old men could suck the life out of the potted plants in the board room if they weren't so busy trying to glare you down."

Rin Tohsaka was strangely someone that seemed to be both older and younger than Akiha-sama at the exact same time. She was older, and it showed in her general sense of confidence and energy, as well as the fact that what Akiha-sama wore had been taken from Tohsaka-sama's closet; Tohsaka-sama herself wore something that was similar in cut and style. Yet she sometimes also seemed more petty than Akiha-sama, complaining about this or that in a way that Akiha-sama never did unless it had to do with Shiki-sama. Whereas Akiha-sama seemed to be stubborn over maintaining the Tohno family's image even privately, Tohsaka-sama would drop pretenses within this house and—

"You're both silly, just sit down and eat," Fujimura-sama said, swiping some more of the meat off the serving plate. "Or I _will_ eat everything before you can get started and you'll just have to suffer." She smacked her lips. "_Or_ you should just bury your pride and start bringing home takeout if you keep getting held up."

For some reason, both Akiha-sama and Tohsaka-sama's pride would not allow them to bring ready-made food home when there was a capable cook in their place of residence whose job was to prepare meals. Still, it was technically Fujimura-sama's place to begin with, and the high school teacher would not suffer meals to be late.

At that, neither continued complaining and instead settled down to their places at the table.

A matter of pride kept them from bringing food home, but a matter entirely different kept them from the simple truth: neither one of them _had_ to stay here.

Though unfinished, the Tohno mansion repairs had long since started. If Akiha-sama arranged for it, it would be move-in ready within days. However, she stalled on hiring further work to be done on it, citing that the Touzaki family was just waiting for her to make a move back into a vulnerable state—this house, on the other hand, was in a location unknown to the Touzaki and had some kind of magician's spell on it to detect intrusion or outside observation. Yet for all that was true, with the attention that had come from the mansion's destruction earlier meant that the Touzaki were not as willing to openly oppose Akiha-sama. Additionally, from the little bits of information Akiha-sama had let slip, it appeared as if Kouma Kishima was unwilling to incite another battle.

Tohsaka-sama apparently had her own functional house, even, but had somehow established this location as her home-away-from-home. When pressed on the matter, she had said something about preserving memories from this place and the serious look she had when saying so kept me from inquiring further.

They ate in silence for a short while, making appreciative noises and a few bites later they had apparently both decided to silently forgive the perceived early start of dinner. They then apparently picked up from a conversation they were having when they had initially detected the smell of food from the entryway.

"Regarding that, no, there are more efficient ways of dealing with the situation. You make sure the help arrives after-the-fact, not because they need to be there for actual work, but to confirm that work has occurred to begin with." As was becoming something of a habit and despite complaining about the meal starting without them, Akiha-sama still seemed more focused on work than on the food before her. "It gives you witnesses and allows them to come up with their own interpretations that you can still predict."

Despite the age difference, Tohsaka-sama was the one nodding like an attentive student. The nature of business was not something Tohsaka-sama was entirely familiar with despite her own family ties to Fuyuki's economic history. In this one area, the elder woman listened carefully to the financial and professional advice Akiha-sama gave. In turn, Tohsaka-sama had given official support to the Tohno family in some kind of business venture with details that were far above my knowledge. It worked out such that Tohsaka-sama had begun to attend board meetings with Akiha-sama.

Fujimura-sama shook her head at all the talk of finer business practice. "Sometimes I can't tell who the senpai and who the kohai are in this situation," she said to me, though in a stage whisper that seemed to be partially mocking.

"Ah, enough then," Tohsaka-sama said. "It's not like I don't have time for the lessons. After all, I'm still only twenty. It'll be another _whole decade_ before I have to worry about feeling old, _isn't that right_, Fujimura-sensei?"

Nee-san started to raise her hands and keep a fight from breaking out, but a call from elsewhere in the house, "I'm home!" decided for her that she was better off scuttling away from the promised violence. So instead she said, "Hisui-chan, look after this for me?" before she was padding out of the living room.

Thank you, Nee-san. I will not forget this, Nee-san.

Fujimura-sama had celebrated her thirtieth birthday recently, you see, and was still sore on the subject. The explosion of energy always required either a placating statement from Nee-san or for me to physically restrain the teacher before it could be contained. I sighed.

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><p>Shirou Emiya-sama settled into the last position at the table about the time Fujimura-sama had decided to fume in silence rather than struggle against my hold to clobber a girl ten years her junior.<p>

"I brought a cake home, they were having a special nearby," he said to Nee-san. "If that helps?"

If Fujimura-sama continued eating as she did, it certainly would.

He did not appear as the same person that we met months ago. White had shot through his hair and looked like it would only continue at a rapid pace, while his skin had darkened somewhat. The invasion of his magical system into his body had ruined much of the original physical structure according to Tohsaka-sama. The last attack he had generated, the one that had blinded everyone and destroyed the house, it burned out the non-physical structure, though what that meant I did not quite understand.

What had happened still dumbfounded the magus. He had explained a little before the fight and expanded upon it afterward that due to a certain spirit and contract, he had what amounted to unlimited reserves of energy. So long as he set aside a small amount of his own personal store, his source was comparatively endless. When Kishima had struck him in the chest the first time, that source had been destroyed.

However, it was also something he had not thought of. The source of power cycled through him as a medium first, and occasionally he had in times past needed to purge that energy from his system or risk overload. That time, the remaining power of the spirit had gone into him at the last moment and lay dormant beneath his own energy, waiting for a similar purge. He had thought it would have gone away, dissipated itself even before that, but…

Nee-san was a Synchronizer.

When it had occurred to him what had happened, he had blurted it out in the open. Akiha-sama being Akiha-sama did not fail to place the pieces together. Being a Synchronizer myself—even if I had never used the power—was enough for me as well. We both then looked to Nee-san for confirmation.

For the first time in a long time, I think I saw Nee-san look truly embarrassed.

Still, it was enough. The attack supposedly gave Kishima a deep wound and the destruction of the house around him had been enough to knock him out for a few minutes. We were worried when he came to that he would resume the attack, despite police rushing to the scene, but he had calmly made his way out, spoke quietly to Akiha-sama for a moment, glared at Nee-san and me, then stared at Emiya-sama for a long while, passed out on the ground. At first Nee-san seemed convinced that Kishima would smash Emiya-sama's head in when nobody was looking, but the man simply glared when Nee-san tried to make a "take my life instead" gesture and walked off.

In fact, from what Akiha-sama said, Kishima seemed content that the Tohno family would continue on safely under someone else's protection.

"They were just complaining about dinner always starting without them," Nee-san was saying, settling down onto the cushion kitty-corner to him. "Like they're afraid we'll somehow run out. Or that we still begin an hour later than usual due to their recent work schedule. And despite the fact that Akiha-sama never seems to eat a healthy portion." Nee-san seemed put out by the last one.

Though, I doubt that it was anything personal against Nee-san anymore. For a while, Akiha-sama seemed resistant to doing things to Nee-san's satisfaction, as if simply making Nee-san just a tad bit miffed was her form of punishment. Despite the fact that it did honestly seem to annoy Nee-san to some degree, I was actually very happy to go along with it. Seeing Nee-san look genuinely irritable and a little hurt was…well, hard to explain. I do not like seeing Nee-san suffer negatively, yet…

"Well," Emiya-sama said, "the portions really should work out fine." Though he glanced to Fujimura-sama with a long-suffering expression. He had apparently long ago given up on trying to curb her excesses. "But I do agree, Tohno-san, you look like you could eat a bit more, and Tohsaka, you could stand to eat a bit less nowadays, since—"

That was not the correct statement to make. Two shouts seemed to blend into one another.

"Are you saying I'm fat?!"

"Are you saying I'm fla—_agggghhhh_!"

Fujimura-sama stole another share of yakiniku at that when she thought nobody was looking.

"Geez, there's plenty here for everyone and if we look like we're running low, I still have some more meat just in case," Nee-san said, ignoring or ignorant of the violence emanating from one side of the table. Nobody seemed to be paying attention to her, attention only on the food or on Emiya-sama attempting to remove his foot from his mouth. In that moment, briefly, she let slip moments that I watched everyone carefully for, moments like true irritability or hurt.

They were small, hardly noticeable, and nearly everyone in this room only did it when they did not think anyone was looking and their masks could be dropped. It felt now like a mission to notice them, though, to pick out what generated them and try to have that happen more often.

For Rin Tohsaka, in Shirou's words, it was little things that reminded her of her sister, things that were yet separate from the victimized girl and instead evoked the kohai they had at school. The taste of foods she had known Sakura had been fond of. Mention of the Archery Club. The occasional moment that her scheming with Akiha-sama might pass from some kind of pseudo-professional level into something closer to friends or siblings might have.

I had the feeling it might even be the same the other way around, too, as Akiha-sama seemed more lively now. Perhaps it was a simple case of viewing her through a different perspective, in a strange and unfamiliar setting, but I had a feeling it was at least a slight more than that. Being as she was, a young master with social pressure must have been difficult on her daily life, even at school amidst peers. Tohsaka-sama, though, seemed to be in the same general mindset, so their interactions were like that, even above that. Tohsaka-sama was, after all, older and more experienced with matters of the world.

However…

Every time they seemed happiest always seemed to be shortly before a terrible event occurring to Emiya-sama. At one point, he had said aloud that he regretted that they met, that they were demons cut from the same cloth. Of course, somehow, he spent the next three days sick as if suffering alternatively from a stomach ache and a fever, groaning in bed or shivering like it was December.

But I noticed. More and more, I was getting attuned to what to pay attention for, when it was likely to occur.

Nee-san's were even harder to pick up on. Partially because they were often not something the average person would classify as "happy." They were often bitter, or had a sense of irony, or sad, like when Akiha-sama refused to listen to her for the first few weeks after moving here. Every once in a while they might have something resembling actual amusement or satisfaction, though they were few and far between.

When the so-called devil twins that Emiya-sama muttered under his breath about deemed his apologies acceptable, he quietly turned to Nee-san and spoke in low tones to her. Over the others talking business and the television that Fujimura-sama turned on for the news, I could still make out what he and Nee-san were saying, though.

"It's some kind of creature in North America. Something big and red…well, that could be anything I guess. Do you know where the heck Montreal is? I had to look it up."

"I hope you've brushed up on your French."

Emiya-sama looked horrified. Though I suppose I had seen him look like that enough now that it was almost his default expression. "Wait, they speak French there? Maybe I'll cancel after all."

"And give France a proxy-victory-by-way-of-language-in-a-country-that-isn't-theirs?" Nee-san stopped, looked like she was mentally going over what she just said to test its palpability, then nodded as if satisfied.

"I have no idea what you just said." He glanced to Tohsaka-sama and Akiha-sama about as surreptitiously as he could. "You'll be okay?"

Nee-san almost hid it. Almost. But I caught it, and the quick way that Emiya-sama's eyes darted back to her suggested he did too.

He once confided that in me, the story of how they met. How he didn't even remember Nee-san at first when they met again because of the disparity between his memory and the now. There was one thing, though, that he now picked up on that was similar, one thing I had noticed not too long ago that also spoke more than Nee-san would ever voice aloud.

A strange look of bewilderment, of wonderment.

It was far from true happiness. I am not even certain such a thing exists for Nee-san anymore. Emiya-sama himself is far, _far_ from perfect. I am not even certain that what they have for one another would be called "love" or "romance" by others, so the notion that such a positive thing existed between them and feinted off all the negativity would be wrong as well. It was, however, an expression that made sense to me. For all of the bad that had happened in her life and all of the bad she tried to sew into the lives of everyone else, Nee-san seemed at a loss whenever a little uncalled for consideration was granted to her.

Why a boy she did not know would give her his umbrella.

Why a young man she hardly knew would say he wanted to save her, even if she was the villain.

Why, even now, the same person would even still be in her life when they did not have to be.

The strange look gave way to a slight smile. Again, not a truly happy smile, but something that seemed a little uncertain. It is not hard to assume that the same could even be said for Akiha-sama, Tohsaka-sama, and Emiya-sama when it came to it. They all occasionally appeared to be surprised that they could enjoy each other's company. However, if one were to call it grief and the stages associated with it, this was also on the far side of the journey, past the truly difficult parts and onward to the stage of recovery.

If they could continue to keep each other company, that would be something I could be happy over.

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><p>The young man was aware, too, every day, of the faint and broken smiles around him, of the slow recovery they signified.<p>

_Once again, others saved my life._

_But maybe…_

_There was one who had been cast away and had to have wondered whether anyone even wanted her. But she had done everything she could to save one life._

_There was one who had been created for a single, selfish purpose. She gave up on even that purpose to save one life._

_There was one who had endured much to risk everything on a chance to make the world she knew better. That chance was lost to save one life._

_There was even one who had fought to the end of despair in hopes of finding justice. In the end, he could only save one life…_

_Maybe, if it meant they could smile, even if those smiles became more than to curse my existence, I could be a little content with being saved._

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><p>Synchronized Body, Fin<p> 


	37. Eclipse

AN: This is a double release, so if you haven't checked out the previous chapter, that's the ending to the last arc. This is just a little extra.

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><p>FateFar Side

Eclipse

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><p>The doll was slumped over in a way that suggested life—not some limp, muscle-less mannequin that had the outward appearance of a human and none of the physicality. There was a certain tension still residing within its limbs, in its joints, like tendons were still holding firm and muscles had yet to entirely atrophy. It was like it had at one point been alive, breathing, like any other human that found themselves in such a position. Now it was slouched as if asleep, its head lulled to the side, eyes open only fractionally to give a hint of color beneath.<p>

Shirou stared at the creation, the part of his mind always analyzing physical structure going over every aspect: height, assumed weight, length of limbs, width of the torso, even how fine the hair was. He felt like the doll's features ought to be familiar, somehow, even though he was sure the sculpted face it wore was of someone he had never met in his life, possibly not even based on someone who existed in reality.

"What do you think of it?"

The woman stood to the other side of the display, visible through the transparency of the glass. Though he had tried to pay special attention to his surroundings, she had come up on him almost entirely by surprise—doubly creepy as there was nobody else present on this floor of the museum and the display was in the middle of a wide open room.

He peered through the glass at her, tried to make out details. Her red hair was a tone darker than that in Shirou's and for a brief moment, the young man thought her eyes had appeared bright blue before fading in obscurity as she shifted beneath the light. She watched him with some form of amusement on her lips, an artist interested to hear feedback to her work.

"I think it's beyond my ability to appreciate as art," Shirou said. "I'm not really qualified to review something like this."

"Mm, but not what I asked. What do you _think_ of it?"

He tried to arrange words in his head. "I _think_ it's amazing, but that there's something a little foul about it. Like it's too perfect or something." He did not voice how something about it reminded him of a particular being plated in gold that had claimed the world was his. It reeked of that kind of perfection, something that stood above the average person.

She made a faint laugh that hummed behind pursed lips. "I suppose that can be foul, in a way."

Shirou no longer made any pretense at examining the art, instead turning his attention to the woman fully. The air settled into darker places as the polite small talk—even as relevant as it was—became exhausted. He regarded her steadily, all the while measuring the distance between them, around them, so if something started up he understood the lay of the land as best as he could. Other glass displays, open displays, the walls with art hanging on them, dolls hanging from them, doorways to other areas and exits.

Though the exhibition was supposed to be non-smoking, she set a cigarette between her lips anyway. The flash of a match followed, and a faint scent of tobacco wafted through the air. "So, Shirou Emiya, are you here to kill me?"

He laughed, louder than was polite at their location. "I know the Association has you marked, Touko Aozaki, but I'm not their enforcer."

"I know." She let the cigarette hang from her mouth as she spoke. "But I have no idea why else you would have gone through such lengths to find me. Complaints about your body?"

"Nothing like that." He wanted to circle the display but thought he might provoke her if he did. "More a curiosity first and foremost." With one more glance at the lifelike puppet in the display between them, he asked, "Why let me get a hold of this? I know your reputation, know even a bit more than that, and I know how a lot of magi think. There's no way someone of your caliber would just let something like what I have sit around waiting for someone to grab it. You let me have it, or at least let the possibility that I would get it be greater than it should have been."

"Mm. Perhaps." Touko inclined her head aside and up, like she wanted to contemplate the location of the smoke alarms and the likelihood she might activate the sprinkler system.

"How would you even know about me?"

The woman's eyes fell to him though she did not move otherwise. "I had something of a side interest in the Heaven's Feel, you might say. Magi are always seeking the Root, after all, and the Third Magic is a topic that I've researched my fair share of. Which should come as no surprise with what I do."

"Materialization of the soul, the purer form of humanity at its source. The reflection it casts when placed in a material body."

"Some of us that know what to look for, we can tell when things like that are activated. Even in a marginal form. I did some digging after it ended, made some connections."

Shirou looked a little disturbed by that.

"So, to answer your question, maybe I just wanted to have a look. At what the final result would be, if that True Magic were to interact with what I made."

"I'm not sure I believe you. That sounds like a technical excuse for something baser."

This time, the woman grinned. She removed the cigarette from her lips and took a breath of untainted air. "People like you…well, there was one I knew. The two of you would get along real well."

Shirou gave a shrug. "We're both creators of imitations. I can make out fakes, you know, pretty well." A slight smile. "Even better, as of recently. Anyway, you saved my life, even if it was not intention on your part. I was wondering if there was a way I could save yours."

"Feh, that _really_ sounds like the other guy." She shook her head. "So then, if my answer is no…I suppose that's when this turns the other way?"

"I usually don't care about Sealing Designations, really, but yours does include information about endangering more than a dozen other magi."

"Only the ones that came after me first." Though the cavalier way she said so was clearly just a side note, not meant as a statement of defense. If anything it seemed to be the thing that would provoke him more—which might have been why she said it.

"Then, I guess, if there is nothing I can do for you, what I will say is that you should run. Because if I can't help you, I can try and help the others you haven't been as nice to."

"Oh, I should _run_, should I?" The smile narrowed though paradoxically gave him a view of more teeth. "Only if you _chase_ me, boy."

From the flare of her cigarette she drew a shape resembling the English letter F.

He had the flats of black-and-white scimitars out in front of his face just as fast.

Flames licked up from the weapons as they ignited—despite being made of metal—until they consumed the entire upper halves of both blades. He tossed them at angles to either side and brought out two more identical swords, hoping to catch the woman in a favorite trap, only to see her already to the doorway of the stairwell.

"Impress me more, boy, and maybe we can work things out," she said, before she took a jump over the closest railing and out of sight.

Shirou took a step after her only to belatedly realize she had left her suitcase on the ground. He made a _tsk_ noise to himself as the latches to the suitcase came open on their own and something within made an inhuman noise somewhere between a large dog growling and an even larger insect buzzing.

The memory of one of the movies he had watched with Kohaku and Hisui came to mind as the hinges to the case moved and he was able to peer inside. "Fuck me sideways," he said.

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><p>Eclipse, Out<p>

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><p>FateFar Side, End


End file.
